A Get Together to Remember
by K Braddock
Summary: When a former ranger is taken captive days before a weekend reunion, all anyone can do is sit back and watch his fate unravel before them.
1. Surprises and Misfortunes

_**Disclaimer**__- I do not own Power Rangers or any of the characters used in this story except for Jamie._

_(December 2010) I apologize to those of you who reviewed this story in the past and were robbed of continuation. (Thanks for the kind words, Ditena.) My life has changed drastically since the last time I worked on this. I am so excited for what I have written so far. I felt that if I just continued from where I had left off it wouldn't work. So here it is! I hope you enjoy._

**Chapter 1 – Surprises and Misfortunes**

In his basement laboratory, Dr. Thomas Oliver sat behind his desk glaring at what was sitting in front of him. His desk was littered with student exams and bills. With an exasperated sigh, he began grading the next test. He stared at the paper in front of him, leaning back in his chair as he shook his head in disappointment. He had been teaching science for several years at the high school, but as much as he enjoyed it, the job was still stressful at times. Grading was especially difficult for him, as he hated to give out poor grades, though the upset parents knocking on his door seemed to bother him more. He had become tougher over the years in many aspects of his life.

He proceeded to write a 'C-' on the front of the test before setting it back down, 'When am I ever going to finish all of this?' he thought to himself as he looked at his mess of paperwork.

"Dad!" A young girl called from the kitchen upstairs.

"What is it?" Tommy yelled back up.

"Can we have Jason over for dinner?"

"Yeah, that's fine!" Tommy smiled. It was getting late, so he began to gather the tests and bills into stacks. He could finish after dinner.

It had been seven years since Tommy had last wore spandex and called himself a Power Ranger. He had settled down, but Tommy hadn't had a lasting relationship since Katherine, his Zeo partner in pink. Part of him longed to have children, and so, he sought adoption. When he first saw Jamie, she was just eight-years-old, playing with a pair of worn plastic dinosaurs. He had fallen in love with this brown-haired, green-eyed, little girl the moment he saw her. Jamie had lost her mother at a very young age and her father remained in prison, where he had been since she was five. Now 14, Jamie was everything Tommy could have asked for. And although they had grown very close, she knew nothing of Tommy's Ranger past and he had planned to keep it that way. But one day he knew he would have to tell her. He couldn't keep hiding it, but he could try.

Jamie was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She had prepared extra pasta before she asked to invite Jason, but that was her secret. She fretted over the boiling noodles and tested the other dishes before leaving the kitchen. Everything would be finished in a few more minutes.

She went into the living room where Tommy usually left his cell phone to charge.

She listened to it ring twice before she heard Jason Lee Scott answer on the other end.

"Hey bro!" Jason answered excitedly.

"Hi Jason! It's me, Jamie." She was already smiling.

"Oh, hey Jamie! How's my favorite Goddaughter doin'?"

"I'm good! ...I was just calling to ask you if you'd like to have dinner with us tonight?"

"Yeah, absolutely! Tell your Dad I'll be there in 15."

"Okay, I will! See you soon!"

"Alright, see ya Jamie!"

She was overjoyed; it had been over a month since she had last seen her Godfather. They had spent a lot of time together when Jason moved back to Angel Grove a couple of years after Tommy had adopted Jamie. Tommy had asked Jason to be the Godfather soon after he had adopted her and Jason was more than happy to accept that title.

The cities of Angel Grove and Reefside are pretty close to one another, fifteen miles just about. Tommy had been thrilled to find out that his best friend of over a decade was going to be so close to him again, not to mention he would get to be a part of his daughter's life. They had become brothers over the years, but even so, Jason led just as busy of a life as Tommy did.

Jamie made sure that she returned her father's phone to the spot she had taken it from: on top of the table in the foyer. Tommy always left his phone in that particular area because if he didn't, he would usually forget where he had last placed it or perhaps lose it altogether. Faulty memory was something he had always had. She returned to the kitchen to finish setting up. It was good that she could cook, because if Tommy prepared all their meals, they would have likely both died of malnutrition.

Tommy had finished organizing his desk, and had begun to grade a couple more tests only to be interrupted by a new email that had just popped up onto his screen. Tommy would have left it for later had it not been Andros emailing him.

"Greetings fellow Rangers," it read,

"I am sending out a mass email to invite all of you to my Megaship on Friday, November 17th at 6:00 PM, for a weekend of celebration you will never forget. The First Annual Power Rangers Reunion is here. Leo Corbett, of the Galaxy rangers, will be our host as we have a weekend full of festivities, memories, and good fun! The Megaship will be in its usual spot in the Angel Grove forest. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Regards,

Andros of KO-35

'Oh man, this is great… I can't wait to see everyone.' Tommy thought.

"Oh no… what am I going to do about Jamie? Jase is obviously going to go to this too." He said softly.

"What about me?" Tommy was too distracted to notice his daughter standing at the bottom of the staircase.

Tommy jumped out of his chair and into a fighting stance. He immediately dropped his arms upon seeing who it was that had startled him. She gave him a confused look.

"Jamie, you can't come at me from behind like that… I don't like being snuck up on!" Old instincts died hard, which meant that "incidents" like this happened more than Tommy felt was acceptable.

"Whoa, Dad! I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you."

Tommy turned around to hide the redness of his face, as he closed the email from Andros before she could notice.

"What do you need Jamie?" Tommy asked just before turning back around. He was trying to look nonchalant, but wasn't sure if it was working.

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know that Jason will be here in 15 minutes." She smiled, but her eyes still showed subtle concern.

"Oh… okay, good. I'll be up soon, alright? Tell your Godfather to come down and get me when he gets here."

"I will." She said before turning to make her way back upstairs.

"Oh, and Jamie?" Tommy said before turning around to face her.

"Yeah, dad?"

"Knock next time, please?" Tommy asked with a nervous smile.

She nodded in agreement, "Sorry dad." she replied before trotting back up the stairs.

Tommy waited until he heard the door shut behind him before reopening the email from Andros. He began to wonder how his daughter would take the news if he told her that he hadn't just been one but five different Power Rangers in his lifetime. Jamie was already a huge fan of the Power Rangers when he brought her home. When she was back at the orphanage she heard stories of how the Rangers were always saving the day from monsters and aliens. She often imagined what it would be like to be a Power Ranger but even more so as the Red Ranger. It was the aspect of being in charge that drew her to it.

'Maybe she would think it was really cool having a former Power Ranger for a dad.' He thought to himself.

A little over ten minutes passed as Tommy sat and thought about seeing everyone again. He wondered how they all had turned out. It had been difficult to keep in touch with the majority of them. He had only seen Jason and Billy in the last ten years, with the exception of the Red Ranger team-up he initiated to prevent Serpentera from reactivating. He pulled his chair up closer to his desk as he opened up a folder on his computer. He smiled, looking through photos from his past.

But Tommy then thought he heard movement come from behind him. He jumped into a fighting stance as he had done earlier. But this time there was no one there. He sighed; he figured he'd always react like this. After being a Power Ranger for so long it was hard not to think there was always an enemy near and out to get you.

"…Jamie?" He called out in his stern-dad voice, "I'm not really in the mood to be playing around."

Tommy looked around his lab cautiously before he dropped his fists and sat back down.

But that was all it took.

It all happened so fast: He suddenly couldn't breathe as he struggled to get loose. He pulled himself toward the floor, his attacker falling with him as the chair toppled over with a loud thump. Tommy struggled to break free from the chokehold his was in, but now the attacker had a rag that smelled of strong chemicals pressed against his face. Tommy reached down for a small switchblade he kept in his side pocket. He stabbed twice before he was let go. Tommy knew he was about to lose consciousness and used every ounce of energy he had to fight it. He crawled towards the stairs, but he quickly succumbed to the darkness that had been awaiting him.

Jamie had been at the sink draining the pasta when she heard a loud thump from downstairs. She quickly placed the noodles back into the pot and dried her hands on the sides of her pants. Jamie went to the door that led to the downstairs lab and knocked aggressively.

There was no answer.

"…Dad?" She asked, expecting a response this time. But again there was no answer.

She opened the door to the mysterious underground lair and walked halfway down the steps. The lights had been turned off. Jamie heard the doorbell ring once and for a moment considered answering it, but she continued on downstairs. The light switch was at the base of the staircase.

Jason stood outside. His car was warm enough, but it was definitely one of Reefside's cooler nights. He rang the doorbell two more times.

"Jamie! …Tommy!" Jason tried to peek through the window. He rang the doorbell once more before allowing himself inside.

"Hey, is anyone still living here?" He called out to the seemingly empty home.

Jason was making his way into the kitchen when he heard an awful scream come from downstairs. He immediately ran to the downstairs door and quickly moved down the steps.

"Jamie!" He yelled on his way down.

He hadn't quite made it down the stairs before he noticed Jamie sitting on the floor shaking and breathing heavily. Her legs had given out at the sight of her father's lab. The room was complete mess. There were papers scattered all over the floor and the wheel of Tommy's computer chair still spun as it lay on the floor. There had definitely been a struggle, that much Jason knew. And whatever had gone on down here had literally just happened.

It was then that Jason noticed the floor.

Blood... and a good amount of it. But who's was it?

Panic then set in and surged throughout Jason's body. Adrenaline set him on edge, and the panic he felt was the same kind he had felt years ago when he and Tommy were still Rangers. It was the kind of panic only a Power Ranger could feel when something bad had happened to one of their own.

"Tommy… Bro! Are you in here?" He called, walking around the lab quickly as he looked for clues.

But as he expected there was no response.

"I… I just…" Jamie said trying to hold it together.

Jason turned his attention back on her. The look on her face was unbearable for Jason to see. She looked so distraught but shock had its hold on her more than anything.

"Where is he Jason? …What happened to him?" She managed to get out.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Jason asked in an urgent tone.

"I don't know… about 15 minutes ago I guess. I… I had told him you were coming over for dinner."

The young girl was about to fall apart.

Jason looked back up and around the room. He had only taken one step forward before hearing what sounded like something had cracked. He looked down only to see that he had stepped on his best friend's glasses, shattering one of the lenses. He cursed under his breath, "We need to get out of here. Now." Jason suddenly said.

"What! Are you serious? Shouldn't we be calling the police?" Jamie yelled at him completely outraged.

"No, they aren't going to be of any help to us." He said sternly.

"…What's going on Jason? This is really starting to freak me out."

"Jamie… if you come with me right now, I promise you I will explain everything."

She didn't move from her spot on the floor as she continued to stare at the puddle of blood across the room. Jason then kneeled down to her height and purposely blocked her view.

"I know what you're thinking… and you can't think that way. I learned that a long time ago. But right now the best thing you could do for your dad is to come with me." She didn't respond as Jason kept his gaze on her.

He sighed. "Please come with me, Jamie? …Surely you can trust your Godfather."

There was silence between the two of them for a short period of time. Jamie then looked up at Jason and took a deep breath. She wiped one of her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket before she finally replied, "Alright."


	2. Unveiling the Old

**Chapter 2 – Unveiling the Old**

"You know what's funny Jason?" Jamie asked, breaking the silence, "…I have always felt my dad was hiding something from me."

Jason continued to pay attention to the road, fearing that any eye contact made with his Goddaughter would give away his nervousness.

"Really?" He managed to get out.

"Yeah… really. And I think you know what that something is."

Jason had to hand it to Tommy. He raised one hell of a smart girl. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Your dad… well...uhhh…" Jason began, wondering if he should just come straight out with it, "He's done a lot of great things, Jamie… and he has helped more people than you'll probably meet in your lifetime."

"Okay? So why would someone take him?"

Jason let out another breath, preparing himself for the secret he was about to reveal to her. This was a huge secret to bring into light and he had hoped Tommy would have been the one to confess it.

"Your dad used to be Power Ranger."

He expected a response right away after delivering such big news, but no response came. Finally after about a minute or so of silence, Jamie let out a small laugh.

"You know… as my Godfather… you really shouldn't lie to me."

"Lie to you?" Jason asked unbelievingly.

He pulled his truck over to the side of the road and flipped on his hazard lights.

"I'd never lie to you." He said looking over at her.

"A Power Ranger? Give me a break! There is no way! The Power Rangers are famous, I think I would know if I were living with one."

"Jamie… please look at me?" Jason asked in a pleading tone. "We will get into all of the specifics later. I will tell you everything you want to know, I promise you. I have never lied to you before and I am not going to start now. But I'd rather it be your dad that tells you his life story. We just need to focus on finding him now."

Jamie's curiosity was starting to peek now as she was beginning to get over the shock.

"Which Ranger was he?"

Jason knew this was going to make her erupt with a million and one more questions. "The green Ranger, the white Ranger, the red Zeo Ranger, the red Turbo Ranger, and right before he adopted you he was the black Dino Thunder Ranger."

Jamie almost blurted out her next question.

"The green Ranger? …As in the _original_ green Ranger? …But that would mean he was…"

"Evil during some of that time, yes. But we broke that spell and he has been just fine since."

Jamie didn't know how to process this all. Her dad was a genuine hero and she didn't even know it. She then realized what Jason had just said, "Wait, 'we'? …Were you a Ranger too?"

"Yes… The one you have a poster up on your wall of actually."

Jason grinned upon seeing Jamie's reaction. She looked star stuck.

"_You're_ the original Red Ranger?" She asked in disbelief.

"I am."

She couldn't believe how stupid she felt having never known all of this. She looked back at the road, still trying to wrap her brain around it all.

"So who would want my dad now if he's retired?"

"I have been trying to figure this out…" Jason's concern for his best friend was starting to build up again. "…All of our enemies are long gone."

"I am really worried, Jason. Whoever has him… they aren't going to hurt him, are they?" She began to fight back tears again.

Jason pulled her in close to him and wrapped his arm around her as he placed his hand on the side of her head. He spoke quietly next to her ear. "I promise I won't let anything happen to him, okay? He will be alright Jamie…Your dad is one tough guy to break, trust me."

Jamie formed a slight smile on her face. Jason continued to comfort her. She held onto him for a few more moments before pulling away and re-collecting herself.

"Where are we going now?"

"My house." He replied as he took off down the road again.

* * *

He felt himself shiver. The concrete floor he was currently laying on was freezing cold and he had a terrible taste left in his mouth making him feel incredibly nauseous. He didn't want to move from his current position but he knew he had to. It didn't help that he had one of the worst headaches imaginable to boot. He slowly began to open his eyes. He placed his hand flat on the floor, making his first attempt to get up.

And then it hit him.

He had been captured. He realized now that he had been drugged as well, noting the symptoms he was having.

"Damn…" He said as he slowly sat up, "Where am I?"

"I'd say you are right where I want you." A voice spoke up behind him.

"Huh?" He said as he got up as quickly as he could. He looked in the direction the voice had come from, "Who's there? Show yourself."

"…Do I really need to, Oliver?"

'I know that voice.' He thought immediately.

"No… Not you again." Tommy then said out loud.

"See… I knew you would recognize an old friend." The figure said as it approached Tommy's cell.

"Mesogog."

The old rivals made eye contact. Tommy, for one, wasn't about to take his eyes off his old enemy, once believed to be dead and defeated.

"What a pleasure it is to see you again, Oliver."

Tommy was truly taken aback. His expression was somewhere between shocked and irritated. Irritated mostly by the fact that his old enemies never seem to stay defeated.

"Why don't you cut the crap Mesogog and tell me what it is you want."

"Feiiiiissstty." Mesogog said in his prolonged tongue. He now had his back to Tommy.

"You know… I do hope you got the chance to tell your original red friend and your daughter how much they mean to you."

Tommy could feel the rage building inside of him; he was like a volcano about ready to burst.

"If you go near either of them, …I swear-"

"Oh, it is not them you should be worried about Dr. Oliver…" Before Tommy could further inquire, Mesogog spoke once more. "I would be more concerned for yourself now."

If Mesogog could smile, he would have been doing so that very minute. Upon seeing Tommy's reaction to his previous words, he now knew he finally had his oldest and greatest adversary right where he wanted him. It was only a matter of time before Tommy would realize that he had no way of getting out of this.

"Whatever you think you are about to get away with… it's not going to happen." Tommy was starting to breathe a bit harder. "The Power Rangers will _always_ win."

"The Power Rangers are a joke." Mesogog retorted quickly. "It doesn't matter what you say now Oliver... No one will be able to come to your rescue in the end, not after we're through with you."

Tommy was about to respond when he realized what Mesogog had just said.

"…We're?" Tommy questioned.

Mesogog said nothing. Instead, he walked back over to the dimly lit doorway. Tommy was about to yell after him when he heard the door close.

He was alone again.

"I have _got_ to get out of here."

Tommy knew that at this point, the chances of rescue were slim to none. The Rangers would be having their reunion soon and there was no way he was going to miss that. But how was he going to get back home?

'Maybe there is a portal around here.' He wondered.

He paced around his cell. Before he could think about his situation any further he found himself falling to the ground once again.

"…what the?"

He pulled out a small kit he always carried in the side pocket of his cargo pants. He then took out a small flashlight from the kit. With his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes now wide, he gasped as he realized that what he was looking at appeared to be bones. But bones from who or what, he didn't know. He shone the flashlight around the room. Dry blood. Dry blood clung to every inch of this place. He was beginning to panic some, as he realized that he wasn't just facing his old foe again, but a whole different version of him. Mesogog no longer cared about world dominance… he wanted revenge. And with this revenge there would be bloodshed.

As Tommy's breathing became even heavier now, he felt himself begin to emotionally lose control. But he had to keep it together; he had to make it out of this alive. He was feeling nervousness come onto him at a rapid rate. He had been in these situations before, but something about where he was right now was making him feel really uneasy.

His next words echoed throughout the room.

"…What am I going to do?"


	3. Anticipation

**Chapter 3 - Anticipation**

"Well, I have sent out all of the RSVP's Ashley." Andros, the Red Space Ranger, said with a smile.

"It's about time! The event is a week away. I didn't know you could be such a procrastinator." She gave him a playful look before continuing, "So who has RSVP'ed so far?"

Ashley loved big events like this; everyone always had so much fun. She had already decorated most of the Astro Megaship. Andros thought she had gone a little overboard with the streamers, but he wasn't about to say anything to her about them.

"Well… let me see here." He replied as he pulled up his email.

"The Galaxy rangers have all RSVP'ed, so have pretty much everyone from the original teams up to us. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything back from the Time Force, Lightspeed, Wild Force, and Ninja Storm teams. The Dino Thunder team is coming though. At this point I don't think the others kept in contact after their ranger days."

"Aren't the Dino Thunder Rangers the ones who were mentored by Tommy?" Ashley asked quickly.

"Yeah." He smiled, "Zordon would be so proud of him."

Ashley was a bit surprised, not only at Andros's words but also by his expression too. Most of the time whenever Zordon was brought up he would leave the room or refocus on something else. That was how it had been for years. It had been quite some time since Zordon had passed but Andros had had a hard time forgiving himself. Maybe this was the first sign of him accepting that he wasn't at fault for Zordon's death.

Ashley patted him on the back. "He definitely would be… but I know he would be just as proud of you too."

Andros looked up at her. "Thanks, Ash."

She bent down to give him a hug, but was instead pulled into a kiss.

As Andros let go of her face, their lips pulled apart and once again Andros smiled at her.

"How about we grab some dinner and spend the rest of the evening together? We can always come back to decorate and prepare some more later."

Ashley matched Andros's expression. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Jamie looked around at Jason's studio apartment. She was surprised that it was only her first time in there, but Jason could be very reclusive at times.

"Hey Jamie! Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge." Jason yelled from the other room.

"You know… that pasta had turned out really well. Sauce and all." She responded as she opened up a bottle of water.

Jason walked out into her view.

"I'm sorry we had to leave so quickly. I know you had a great dinner planned."

Jamie continued to look down at her feet.

Jason wanted to say something more but didn't know what at this point. He didn't have much experience these days when it came to talking to 14-year-old girls. Instead he went over to one of his kitchen drawers and began rummaging through its contents.

"What are you looking for?" She piped up.

"My communicator." He responded after giving a frustrated grunt.

"What will that do?" She asked.

"If I can find it, I'll be able to get in contact with someone that may be able to help us find your dad." He paused and looked up from the counter top.

"That's it!" He suddenly announced and left the room once more. Jamie heard some noise coming from the other room before he returned about a minute later with a wooden chest. He opened it up and the first thing he saw was Tommy's old Zeo morpher. He had given it to Jason a number of years ago before he moved to go to college; he was afraid of something happening to it. Jason wondered for a second if he should show it to Jamie, but opted against it.

"Did you find it?" She asked as she saw him quickly stuff something back into the bottom of the chest.

He continued to delve through all of the trinkets he had collected over the years. "Still looking."

There were a few cassette tapes Zack had given to him as well as an old photograph. He pulled the photo out and instantly smiled. It was the one Ernie had taken of the six original rangers. Himself, Kim, Trini, Zack, Billy and Tommy were all huddled together in front of the youth center. Jason remembered that day well. The young teenagers were beaming as they held Ernie's famous smoothies in their hands. It was the day they found out Tommy would be joining them again as the White Ranger. Jason's smile soon faded as he looked at the girl in yellow. It had been close to a decade since they had lost Trini and not a day went by when he didn't miss her.

"Yeah!" He said strongly and with much relief after reaching back into the chest. He now had his communicator in his hands.

He then placed it on his wrist and brought it up to his lips.

"Hey… this is Jason… Anyone come in?" He paused and then spoke once more. "Anyone read me? …Hello?"

Again Jason got no response.

"So what do we do now?" Jamie inquired.

"We keep trying."

She gave a small sigh as she listened to Jason further speak into his communicator. She felt like she could be doing more than just sitting there waiting for something to happen. But something told her that this was just the beginning and ultimately patience would end up giving her some sort of result. She was now starting to fully comprehend just how much her life had changed, and more importantly how different it would be for the rest of her life. The one person who really cared for her and took her in not only used to be a Power Ranger, but a legendary one at that.

And now he was just gone.

Who knew what would happen next.

* * *

**(Planet of Mirinoi)**

"I am _so_ betting on Leo screwing up somehow at this thing. He'll definitely forget a line or something." Damon said with a small laugh.

"I'll get in on that." Kai added.

"Very funny guys… so glad I have the loving support of my closest friends." Leo shot back, half annoyed.

"Leo is going to do a fantastic job at the reunion!" Mike said happily as he walked into the room.

"Thanks Mike… At least I know _someone_ always has my back." Leo replied as he patted Mike on the shoulder.

"Oh, no problem baby brother. But just so you know, I'm going to have to get in on this too." He laughed as Leo instantly dropped his arm and glared at them all.

"Hey, do you think Cassie is going to be there?" Kai asked a little uneasily.

"Relax Kai, I'm sure your one true love will be there." Maya added with a huge smile.

Kendrix then emerged from the hallway. "Yeah, do you want me to call her to ask if she's going?"

"No, no… that's fine." Came Kai's quick response as his face turned as red as Leo's shirt. "And she is _not_ my one true love either. We're just friends."

Kai looked away from the group as they all grinned.

"Well, I had better get going. I still need to find a suit to wear to this thing." Leo announced as he stood and grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl sitting on the table.

"Hey! Make sure you get one that's entirely in red, alright?" Damon yelled after him, trying not to laugh. "You can even holster your Quasar Saber on the side!" But everyone joined in the laughter after that as Leo merely scowled at the group before making his exit.

* * *

The room had been quiet for over ten minutes now. Jason sat on the sofa with his head back trying to figure out what to do next. No one had answered his calls by means of his communicator and he didn't have most of his friends' numbers nowadays.

He knew his constant moving around was somewhat to blame for his lack of communication with the others. But everyone had his or her own life to live too. Jason stared at the ceiling and began to lose himself in his thoughts.

Jamie sat on the recliner opposite of him. She had been slowly peeling off the label on her water bottle. Jason let out a slight sigh. He just couldn't believe something like this was happening again. He looked down at his communicator. It was a bit nostalgic for him to see it occupied on his wrist again.

'One more try.' He thought, as he held the communicator up to his lips once more.

Jamie looked up at him, surprised he was going to attempt contact with anyone again.

"Come in! Anyone! We have a problem. This is…"

"-Jason?" came the sound of another man's voice answering back.

"Adam? Is that you?"

"Yeah man! What's up? I wasn't expecting to hear anyone on this thing again!" He chuckled.

"I know, I'm sorry… I just needed to get in contact with Andros. Can you ask Carlos to give him my communicator frequency? Tell him to contact me immediately. It's urgent."

"Yeah, I'm on it. Is everything okay?" Jason's tone was making Adam feel very concerned.

"It will be. Thanks, man." Jason said quickly.

"No problem." Adam said before ending the call.

Jason laid back against the sofa once again, this time feeling a bit less anxious. Something was actively being done now to locate Tommy.

"Who's Adam?" Jamie questioned after a short while.

Jason looked over at her, "I think it's time for you to watch an old video."

"A video of what?"

Jason got up to go pull out his copy of the video Hayley showed Tommy's students just after getting their Dino powers.

"Let's just say a lot of your questions will be answered."

* * *

"You have an incoming message from Carlos on Earth." The Megaship's computer programmed assistant informed Cassie and TJ.

"Alright, Deca." TJ responded as the video screen in front of them came on and an image of Carlos's face could now be seen.

"Hey guys."

"Hey yourself." Cassie began, "You've been a bit of a stranger these days, Carlos."

"Yeah, what have you been up to lately man?" TJ asked right after her.

Carlos had been a bit AWOL so to say, since his days as a ranger. He had gone through many years of schooling to become an RN and had been working in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in San Diego for the past six years.

"I will have to catch up with you guys at another time. I'm afraid I am calling because Adam contacted me earlier."

"About what?" TJ asked surprised as he walked a little closer to Carlos's screen.

"To inform Andros that he needs to contact Jason as soon as possible. He said it was urgent. I'm really not sure what's going on, but Adam said Jason sounded stressed. I just sent over his communicator frequency."

"Alright, we'll let him know, Carlos." Cassie replied with a stern look.

"I'll see you guys at the reunion, okay?" Carlos said soon after her.

"Sounds good. See you then buddy." TJ responded.

Carlos's face then disappeared from the viewing screen.

"Well that was definitely a short-lived conversation." Cassie said with a perplexed look.

"I am going to go tell Andros… this seems serious." TJ announced before leaving the room.

"Knock first! You know they're both in there together!" She stated with a grin.

TJ gave her a look, "Yeah, yeah."

* * *

(Andros's quarters)

"…Andros?" Ashley asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"I really love being with you. Just laying here next to you feels so right, you know?"

He responded softly into her ear, "…I know. I feel the same way, Ash."

They continued to spoon as Andros began to kiss her on her neck.

"… Promise me you'll never leave me?"

Andros stopped kissing her and sat up. He was looking down at her as she turned over to face him.

"Why are you asking me that, Ashley?" He felt a little perturbed as he examined her expression.

"It's just… we were one of the only groups of Rangers that actually got to keep our powers after we defeated our enemy. I just want to be certain that the power won't be the thing that takes you away from me for good… I don't want to worry about losing you in a battle or a fight ever again."

"I won't use the power again; you know that. But I hope you understand that the power will always remain within us."

"I know… I just-"

"I'm not going anywhere." He interjected, "I am right where I should be, with you."

She smiled before the two of them inched in for another kiss. But before they could do so they were interrupted by a knock on his door.

"Yes?" Andros asked out loud in an annoyed tone.

"It's TJ. I just needed to tell you that Jason is trying to get in contact with you. It sounded really urgent."

Andros looked back down at Ashley; disappointment in his face. He got up to walk over to the door.

"Did he say what this was about?"

"He didn't give Adam the specifics apparently. Here is the frequency Carlos sent to me." TJ finished as he handed Andros a small piece of torn paper.

"Alright, thanks TJ." Andros said as he inputted the numbers necessary to reach Jason via communicator.

As TJ left, Andros turned back around to see Ashley's saddened expression.

"Leaving?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, but only for a little while. I am going to call Jason to see what this is about and then I'll come right back. We will still have our evening together, I promise." He pulled his boots back on and kissed her on the cheek.

"Alright." She said as he quickly made his way out of the room and down the hall. She got up to look out of the window across from her in the room. She thought she would never get tired of seeing space as close as she had been for the last decade. She had seen so much she felt like Doctor Who, only without the time travel. Unlike her and the others still aboard the ship, Carlos had been the only one to stay on Earth to pursue his goals. But now she was feeling like she should have gone back to Earth a long time ago. They would be arriving there in the next few days. 'Maybe I'll stay this time.' She thought to herself.

But would Andros decide to stay too?

* * *

Little did Tommy know that the video he created to have a history of the Power Rangers, was now being viewed by his 14-year-old daughter. Jamie sat bug-eyed as her attention remained focused on the video in front of her. Jason sat across from her on the smaller sofa. He was feeling a lot of mixed emotions watching the video at such a dire time. His anxiety grew seeing and hearing about some of the enemies he used to face.

'It could be any of them.' He thought to himself.

He hoped above all that it wasn't Rita who was responsible for Tommy's disappearance. The last thing Tommy needed was a reminder of his days as the evil green ranger. To this day he still had a lot of guilt surrounding his actions during that time.

The video finished as he looked over at Jamie for her reaction.

"Well that explains a lot." She said with a neutral expression.

"I hope you understand now how serious this is."

"He should have told me the truth." She stated with a bit of bitterness in her tone.

Jason looked away and collected his thoughts before continuing. "I know you're feeling confused, hurt, sad and every emotion in between, but we can't let our emotions get the best of us. Your dad needs us right now, and I-" He was interrupted by the sound of his communicator.

The two of them looked at each other anxiously before Jason answered the call.

"This is Jason."

"Jason, this is Andros. I heard you needed to speak with me?"

Jason let out a sigh of relief before continuing, "Thanks for getting back to me, man. We have a bit of a situation."

Andros was definitely concerned at this point. After all, it wasn't often you got an urgent call from the original red ranger.

"Whatever you need." He responded in a strong tone.

"Tommy is missing and I am almost certain he has been taken captive. He was last seen earlier this evening around five. I don't know who is responsible at this point for his disappearance, but there was definitely an intruder down in his lab before I got there. The place was a mess."

Jason's words all came out so fast.

"I will search everywhere I can for him, Jason. Don't worry, I'll begin right now."

"Thanks, Andros. You don't know just how much I appreciate this."

"Don't worry about it. I'd do anything for my fellow rangers. I'll contact you as soon as I find something." Andros responded as he began his walk to the main control room.

"Oh, and Andros… can we keep these between us? With the reunion coming up, everyone will be so happy… I don't want to spring this on them."

Andros was taken aback momentarily. He had assumed that Jason would want everyone in on the search. He had mixed feelings about it, but he knew he had to respect Jason's wishes.

"No problem. You have my word." Came Andros's response. The call ended just as he had reached the main control room. He quickly walked over to the computer and began the search for Tommy's whereabouts. Something told him finding Tommy was the least of his problems. It would be the discovery of whoever has him now that made Andros uneasy. This might mean returning to duty, but with his recent promise to Ashley to never return to rangering, he had no idea what was in store for him.

He began the scan, "Okay Tommy… where are you?"

* * *

"This Andros guy is going to find my dad, right?"

"Hopefully." Was all Jason said.

"What do you mean, hopefully?" Jamie asked, growing a bit impatient.

"There is no guarantee that Andros will locate him, Jamie. He could be anywhere. We just have to hope Andros gets us a lead."

"So while he's searching for my dad, we're supposed to just sit here and wait?"

She looked away from Jason and down at the floor almost immediately. Her arms were crossed over at this point.

"Jamie, you have got to trust me. Everything will be okay, we just have to get through this first."

"How do you know?" She yelled back at him, her eyes staring right into Jason's now. "How do you know it will all be okay when you don't even know where he is!" She was on the verge of tears; Jason could see that much.

Jason was about to respond but was cut off.

"You know… I see that look on your face. You try to hide your worry from me but I see it." She paused before continuing, "And I know there are a lot of things I still don't know… But I am not a child anymore so don't treat me like one!" Jamie got up from the recliner as she finished.

Jason stood up as well causing her to retreat a few steps.

"I am really trying here Jamie… I know how scared you are, but so am I. We have to stay strong and support each other. You're right… I can't be certain that everything will turn out fine but how would we get through this without that hope?" He could see she wasn't fully listening.

"Something bad is going to happen to him… I just know it." She let out a small cry, as she looked to Jason's right and took off toward the bathroom. Her emotions were starting to get the best of her.

Jason decided it was best he let her be alone for a little while. She would come out of there when she was ready. He went back to the couch and laid down on his back, extending his hands up and under the back of his head. He began to drift off into a light sleep; thoughts of Tommy and how the reunion would be flooded his mind. He decided it be best to try and sleep now because sooner or later… he wouldn't have the option to.

* * *

Tommy had been sitting inside his cell for well over two hours. Mesogog still hadn't returned after his previous departure. He had been so hungry before his capture, but now he didn't feel like he had an appetite at all. His main concern now was how he would make it out of there safely. There was no guarantee Jason would be able to locate him. Before he could think any further the door to his left flung open and at least a dozen tyranodrones marched out. Mesogog followed and the lights then went off. Tommy listened for the door to close but it never did. At this point all he could see was pitch black.

"Alright, what kind of games are you playing here Mesogog? Cause I'm not really in the mood." Tommy practically yelled. He then heard the door to his cell creak open.

"Go!" Mesogog yelled.

He could hear the footsteps all around him. He felt a strong kick go into his calf, knocking him halfway down. As his knees hit the floor he grabbed a hold of one the cell bars to hold himself up. But before he could defend himself, he felt another kick go into the middle of his back. The full force of the kick was definitely felt as his body flung to the floor; the side of his face now on the frigid stone. What he felt next he hadn't felt in years. His head felt like it was about to explode as Mesogog steered all of his energy at Tommy's skull. Even if he could see Mesogog at this point, he definitely wouldn't have been able to retaliate.

"Beg me to stop, Oliver." Mesogog yelled down at him.

Tommy's cries could have been heard from a mile away. But Mesogog wouldn't let up.

"No!" He yelled back. "I won't…"

"You don't want to kill him just yet Mesogog. After all… he's the only collateral we have with those silly rangers at this point."

Tommy could barely make out this new being's words, but 'collateral' was definitely one he had heard. Suddenly he felt the energy leave him as he clutched the sides of his head, still feeling the remnants of it all. A small light that illuminated the inside of Tommy's cell then came on.

"Open your eyes, Tommy boy!"

'That voice…' He thought to himself before opening his eyes slightly to see who it was.

There, looking back down at him was Divatox. He remained laying on his side. As much as he wanted to, he was unable to form any words at this point. She kicked his stomach with the end of her boot, sending him onto his back. He instantly coughed; a small amount of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He groaned as he looked up at Divatox with squinted eyes. The tyranodrones hoisted him up onto his knees as his head hung low.

"Already too much for you, Oliver?" Mesogog asked as he walked around Tommy.

"It's just the beginning!" Divatox said quickly after him with a huge grin.

"Now… I am betting you're already in shock that I have brought back one of your oldest enemies Oliver, but you see… I need to reintroduce you to some others as well."

Tommy still hadn't looked up from the floor. It was too difficult.

"Ah, in the position I like to see you in the most, Tommy… cowering and vulnerable." Another voice finished saying.

'It can't be…' Tommy thought before immediately looking up.

Standing there before him was Lord Zedd. With his staff and all, he stood beside Mesogog and Divatox.

"I don't believe this…" Tommy said in a quiet tone.

As if Tommy couldn't feel any more shocked than he already was, another voice spoke from behind the shadows of the room. "Believe it, my old friend."

Tommy looked over into his or her direction before the being stepped out into view.

"No…" Tommy said disbelievingly.

"It's good to see you again, Thomas." The being stated.

Her voice was just as annoying as it ever had been.

"Rita…" Tommy just couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I bet you never thought you would be seeing my gorgeous face again, did you?"

"How could I ever forget _that_ face." Tommy replied with a glare.

"Hold him still!" Rita ordered the tyranodrones.

She came up to Tommy and hit him hard against the side of his face with the end of her staff.

Tommy grunted instantly. That one really hurt and it was evident it had as blood was now coming down the side of his face from his hairline. His head swung back to the center where it had been before. The hit had left him feeling disoriented. Rita grabbed his face hard; her hand under his chin as their eyes met once more.

"You're in for a real treat, Tommy."

He got up enough strength to pull his head away from her clutched fingertips. He couldn't bear to look at her face any longer.

"A real treat indeed, if I may add."

Tommy didn't even want to look. He knew right away who had said those words.

"Such a pleasure to see my favorite Power Ranger again." Prince Gasket said with amusement, as he too walked out to join the group.

Tommy couldn't help but let out a laugh, "Any more of you I should know about?" He asked as he looked up at them all, his grin still visible.

"Actually… there is." A sixth being said before walking out to join the group.

Trakeena now stood next to Rita. All six of them now looking down at Tommy.

"See Oliver… I just felt our mutual friends deserved an invite to the reunion too." Mesagog stated in a deep tone.

Tommy took in a small, yet painful breath before responding. "They aren't going to hand themselves over to you without a fight. They'll always win… haven't you learned that by now?" As he finished that sentence he directed his glare at Gasket, Zedd and Rita.

"But you see Tommy… they're all fools. They will choose their loyalty above everything… They will choose to save you." Zedd spoke up.

Tommy wasn't about to give Zedd the satisfaction of being right. He knew his friends would do all that they could, but just how far were they willing to go? The damage these six could do together would be catastrophic.

"So you're using me as bait then? …Real original."

"You know… I wouldn't give us any more reason to hate you more than we already do, Tommy boy. I mean, you nearly sliced off my beautiful left hand with that silly little knife of yours."

"_You_?" Tommy asked in shock, "_You_ kidnapped me? I didn't know you had it in you, Divatox… Way to take the coward's way out by coming at me from behind."

"Does this knife have any meaning for you? Let's see…" Divatox said as she surveyed the outside of the knife. Engraved on it were the initials D.T.

"Yes actually, I'd like to get that back from you if I could." Tommy replied, half-annoyed as his anger started to build up more and more.

"I think I'll hold onto it for you." She responded with a smile.

He couldn't stand the thought of her holding the only thing he had left of his brother David's. He had given Tommy that knife just weeks before a drunk driver hit the side of his car near the reservation.

"I'm starving, Zeddy! Let's eat already." Came Rita's high-pitched squeal.

"Shut your trap, you relentless woman! Mesagog gives the orders here. After all, we owe our lives to him." Zedd was clearly aggravated.

"Why thank you, Zedd…" Mesagog slowly spoke. "Let him go, and lock up. We will be back."

He made his way for the door as the tyranodrones dropped Tommy and locked his cell door.

Tommy sat up slowly, clenching his stomach. "What… that's it?" Tommy yelled angrily.

"For now…" Prince Gasket responded as Trakeena laughed, the two of them being the last ones to leave.

"Oh God…" Tommy said in an almost defeated tone. "This can't be happening."

He couldn't even think straight as his breathing became rapid and he began to panic. In all of his years as a ranger, this time he wasn't just nervous and feeling slightly frightened. He wasn't sitting there knowing his friends would find him and come to his rescue like they always had. He couldn't feel the strength he had displayed for so many before; the strength that had pulled him out of one too many situations. No… this time was different.

This time he was genuinely afraid for his life.


	4. A Few Days

**Chapter 4 – A Few Days**

The sounds of computers, arcade games, milk steaming from the espresso machine, and teenage chatter could be heard throughout the Cyber Café. Hayley was working hard making sure everyone got his or her drinks in a timely fashion.

"Trent!"

The young man with frazzled black hair turned around to see his boss's all to familiar look of 'I'm going to kill you if you don't get over here.'

Trent wasted no time as he jumped down from one of the swivel chairs and made his way behind the counter.

Ethan, Connor and Kira sat at one of the tables in the back as they watched the two move quickly to serve all of their customers.

"Wow, this place got super busy out of nowhere, huh?" Kira said as she looked over at Connor.

"Yeah, I wonder where they all came from."

"I have no idea, but I am going to go snag one of those arcades before someone else does." Ethan stated as he got up and quickly made his way over to a popular fighting game. The two of them watched him walk over to the game before continuing their conversation from earlier on which movie to go see the next day.

With the exception of Trent, who had stayed in Reefside to make a name for himself there with his art, the others had all left the city after they defeated Mesogog. Kira had hit it big with her music, producing four albums in the last five years. Ethan had gone on to finish school, acquiring a Bachelor's Degree in Technology and was responsible for the very first 3D video game that was currently being sold all over the world. Connor's dream of playing professional soccer had fallen through only two years into it. He had met a girl in Washington State and had been living there since. To everyone's surprise he was now training to become a commercial pilot.

"Thanks, have a good one." Trent said to the stranger on the other end of the counter. The gentleman nodded with a smile before taking a sip of his drink and heading out the door. Trent took the washcloth and cleaned off the counters before looking over at Hayley.

"That was nuts." She said as she drank some of her iced tea.

"Yeah it was." He responded before tossing the washcloth into the sink.

Hayley reached over and picked up the café's phone. After about a minute or so she placed it back on the receiver.

A disturbed look came over her face. "You know…" she stated looking over at Trent, "Tommy hasn't answered his phone in a few days now."

"Well… maybe he took Jamie somewhere? Like out camping or something."

Hayley gave him a frustrating look, "I have _n__ever_known Tommy to just up and leave without telling anyone. Jamie has school too."

"Well, why don't you go over and see if he's there?"

"I think I will." Hayley said as she disappeared into the back room. She returned with her apron and purse in her hands.

"You can hold down the fort right?"

"Of course." He said with a small smile.

"Alright, well if it gets really busy again ask Kira to help you, alright?"

"I've got it Hayley." He warmly reassured her.

She smiled before turning toward the others in the back.

"I'll see you guys later!" She yelled over to Conner and Kira.

"See ya!" Conner yelled back as Kira waved. Ethan was still too absorbed in his game to notice the exchange of goodbyes.

"Huh, I wonder where she is off to."

"I don't know but at least I can finally change the channel!" Connor said excitedly.

He picked the remote up and turned it to a live soccer game going on in Brazil.

Kira sighed, 'Some things never change.'

* * *

Andros sat at the computer with a stern look on his face. He had been searching for Tommy's whereabouts for days now.

"Hey you!" Ashley said as she came from behind him and placed her hands on her shoulders.

Andros jumped at the feel of her touch. "Whoa, Ashley… Give me a little warning, will you? You know I don't like surprises."

He stood in front of the computer with his back to the monitor.

"I'm sorry… I just haven't really seen you in the past few days. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, Ash. I have just been working on this thing for Jason, is all."

Her curiosity peaked, "You want to give me a hint?"

"It's nothing. Really… I need to finish it though."

"Will you at least come to bed tonight? I hate sleeping without you next to me."

"Sure." He gave a slight smile but continued to look anxious.

"Alright, well I'll see you later then?"

"Definitely. I'll see you a little later, Ashley."

She nodded as she walked backward a few steps and awkwardly made her exit into the hall.

Andros sat back down. His efforts to locate his predecessor were going nowhere it seemed. He didn't want to call Jason until he had good news.

'I just need a power surge of some sort.' He began to think again. If anyone or anything used any sort of energy he'd see it on his screen. Finding the location depended on how long they used the power though. All he could continue to do was wait.

* * *

Hayley had finally reached the Oliver residence. The first thing she noticed was that his jeep was still in the driveway.

'If Tommy's car is here, he must be too.'

She walked up to the door and rang the bell. She waited almost a minute after no answer, before reaching for the knob. The door swung open and she walked inside feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"Tommy? …Jamie?" She asked the seemingly empty home, her voice echoing throughout.

As she walked through the living room to the kitchen she noticed a pot full of pasta sitting on the stove. The smell of it wasn't too pleasant.

"How long has this been sitting here?"

Her worry was increasing with every minute.

"Tommy! …Jamie!"

Hayley decided she would check the lab after not getting a response for the second time.

She pulled the mouth down on Tommy's t-rex skeleton sitting on the table in the foyer, allowing the hidden door to open from the floor.

She hurried down the stairs only to discover the same scene Jason and Jamie had witnessed just days earlier. She didn't make a single movement after her foot came off of the last step. Her eyes wandered around the room.

"Oh my God…" She said as she looked down at the floor in front of her. She bent down to pick up Tommy's broken glasses. She examined them and then looked over at his desk.

"What on earth happened?" She quietly asked herself.

But then she noticed the blood. Practically dry now, but still present on the stone floor nevertheless.

That did it for her. She was about to feel sick to her stomach and wasted no time as she dug into her pocket for her phone. She dialed the only person she could think of contacting.

* * *

The rich smell of his dark roast coffee was penetrating his nostrils as he sipped from it and read the morning news on his phone. It was so satisfying knowing all he could do for that moment was drink his coffee. He had unfortunately endured another sleepless night. He continued to read some of the local headlines before coming across one that stood out in particular.

"_Five young people were kidnapped from outside a popular club in Reefside last Tuesday at around 8:10 PM. Their current whereabouts are unknown, but as of now, witnesses say the group disappeared in a beam of green light."_

Jason's concentration was broken as he heard the refrigerator door open.

"You're out of eggs."

"Well good morning to you too, Jamie."

He looked up from his phone as he watched his Goddaughter pull up a chair next to him, a bowl of cereal in her hands.

"It's not good." She said in a somber tone.

"You have to stay positive, Jamie."

"I don't want to hear that crap anymore." She said just before taking a bite of her breakfast.

Jason still had his gaze fixed on her as she continued to look down at the bowl in front of her.

"I'm never going to see him again. He's gone… just like everyone else in my life. And now I am stuck with you because of it."

Jason was astounded by her words. "How could you say something like that? To be so quick to assume." He paused, thinking hard about what his next words were going to be. "I'd think you would give your dad a little more credit than that. Besides… he has been in far worse situations."

"How can you say that when you have no idea what's going on?" She cut in angrily.

Jason looked to his left and shook his head gently. He exhaled slowly through his nose before looking down at his cup of coffee.

"You're right… I don't know. But Jamie, it's like I told you yesterday… in times like this the only thing I can do is try to be optimistic and have hope. I honestly don't know where I would be today if I didn't have that."

She remained silent as she used her spoon to isolate the marshmallows in her Lucky Charms.

He moved closer to the table and grasped his cup as if he were about to take another sip, but instead spoke once more in a softer tone. "You can't keep lashing out at me like this. We have to be on the same side here. Because you know… if something bad _does_ happen to him, you really _are_ stuck with me. And I don't think that's all that bad considering I love you like a father would already."

Jamie had stopped eating by this point; her eyes focused on the saltshaker on the table. She felt the anger subside only to be replaced by sadness and guilt.

She looked over at Jason, making eye contact with him for the first time since their conversation had began.

"I'm sorry, Jason… I know I haven't been the easiest to deal with." She said to him with half a smile, "I want to be on the same side."

Jason smiled back at her as he motioned for her to get up. He once again pulled the young girl into a hug, "We're going to make it through this and so will he… you'll see."

The pounding now occurring on Jason's front door interrupted the touching moment.

"Jason! Open up!" A voice yelled.

He hurried to the front door as Jamie followed. "Stay back." He said as he extended his arm in front of her. He opened the door to reveal a frantic, redheaded woman on the verge of a total breakdown.

"Oh my God… Jamie!"

The woman ran inside and straight to Jamie, wrapping her arms around the girl's small frame.

"Hayley!" Jamie said excitedly. She had grown very fond of Hayley.

"I am so glad you're okay. I was so worried!" She said trying to catch her breath. But her worry didn't fully diminish after glancing around the apartment.

"Where is he?" She asked as she turned around to face Jason.

"I don't know." Jason answered truthfully.

"Well how long ago did this happen?"

"Two days ago." Jamie quickly responded.

Hayley looked back over at her, not knowing if she should continue the conversation with Jamie present.

"Can we discuss this on the balcony?" She asked, turning back around to face Jason.

"Whatever you have to say… just say it. I know about everything." Jamie answered, slightly irritated.

"Is that true?" Hayley asked.

Jason nodded.

"Alright… well who have you made contact with so far?"

"Andros is searching for him."

"Well when is the last time you heard from Andros?" Hayley's words were coming out faster than Jason could even process.

"Hayley… if I had better news, _believe me_ I would tell you…"

She cut him off, "Oh, like telling me this happened in the first place?"

"I'm doing the best I can here, Hayley. I was going to tell you, but-"

"Has Andros contacted you, or what?"

"Yesterday." Jason simply replied, "Nothing new."

"It… I…" Hayley suddenly couldn't think of what to say as she looked down at the floor. "…The reunion is in five days." She finished as she shook her head. She was in disbelief something like this was really happening again.

"I know." It was all Jason could say.

There was silence among the three of them now. Jason and Jamie continued to look at Hayley who was overwhelmed with emotion and steadily getting worse.

"There was…" She inhaled quickly, trying to hold it together, "...Blood in his lab."

Jason immediately embraced her.

"I know. It's going to be alright, Hayley." He continued to reassure her as he motioned for Jamie to leave the room. She looked disappointed but understood as she made her way back into the kitchen.

Hayley pulled away and collected herself. It wasn't like her to show her emotions like that. Jason leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as his gaze fell on the rug below him.

"What are we going to do?" Hayley's question hung in the air for a moment.

"There's nothing we _can_ do right now."

She looked up at him. Disappointment was evident on both of their faces.

"What is Jamie going to do while we're at the reunion?"

Jason's answer came almost instantly, "She'll be there will us."

"How on earth is that going to work?" She asked slightly confused, "…It's great to see you all again…and oh, by the way, this is Tommy's daughter but Tommy won't be making it tonight."

"She'll be my daughter for the time being." He answered looking back up at her.

"So you're going to lie to them further?"

Jason was getting aggravated now, "Do you have any better suggestions? Because I'm trying to avoid giving my friends unnecessary worry during a time that's supposed to be joyous and memorable."

"Oh, it'll be memorable, alright."

"What else do you want from me, Hayley?" He was beginning to raise his voice.

Hayley was momentarily taken aback. She had never seen Jason like this.

"You call me if you hear anything." She stated quietly but firmly as she walked past him and out the door.

Jason closed the door and took in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly as he noticed Jamie standing in the hallway again.

"Well that didn't go so well." She said with a frown.

"I'm going to shower." He said in a monotone voice as he walked past her and into his bathroom.

Jamie watched him go before looking back at the front door and sighing. She made her way into the living room and sat down on the sofa, hoping something on T.V. would occupy her mind temporarily.

* * *

Hayley drove well over the speed limit as she made her way back over to her house. She picked up her phone and began to dial the number of the person she had tried to contact while at Tommy's.

"Please answer… please… come on."

It rang a few more times. Hayley was about to hang up out of frustration but decided to leave another message.

"_Greetings, you have reached William Cranston. Please leave your name and number and I'd be happy to return your call."_

*BEEP

"Billy, this is Hayley again. Please call me back as soon as you can… please…I am about to have a nervous breakdown over here… I really need to hear your voice. Alright… bye."

She tossed her phone in the passenger seat and placed both of her hands on the wheel.

"Porcelain" by Moby came on the radio. She silently hoped that Billy would return her call before losing herself in the music.

* * *

It was two in the morning and Ashley Hammond simply could not sleep. She looked to her left. Her boyfriend of almost 12 years had barely said a word to her and hadn't been seen outside the main control room in days. She had been disappointed initially but now she was just getting frustrated. Especially after he had told her earlier in the day he would be coming to bed. She sat up and glared at the door, thinking about what she wanted to do at that very moment. A decision was made as she got out from under the covers and put on her slippers. She looked determined as ever, as she walked down the hall with her arms crossed. She walked up to the panel next to the main door and hit the largest button giving her access as the door slid open.

"Andros?" She asked loudly.

She was about to say more, but then she noticed him sitting upright in his chair fast asleep.

'Should I wake him?' She contemplated for a second. He looked so content but at the same time she knew he'd sleep better in his own bed.

Suddenly alarms started going off. Ashley jerked her head in the direction of the computer screen, completely startled by the interruption.

"Andros!" She yelled as she shook him awake.

"What? …What is it?" He yelled back, confused.

But he opened his eyes and became completely alert after seeing why he had been woken.

"How long has this been on?" He asked as he practically jumped out of his chair.

"This video feed had just started before you woke up." She responded quickly.

Andros's hands moved faster than she had ever seen them go during a crisis.

"I've got it." Andros said as he ran over to look at the document that had just printed.

"Got what?" Ashley asked, still completely confused.

He looked up at her with a relieved smile, "A location."


	5. Communication is Key

**Chapter 5- Communication is Key**

Three high-pitched simultaneous beeps could be heard from the computer as groaning could be heard from a muzzled voice under the covers. You could tell whoever was under there didn't want to get out of bed. The beeps continued to go off from the computer. Finally a head popped out from under the sheets, only to reveal a grumpy brown-haired woman. She whined some before getting up to see who was contacting her online. She sat down at her computer and waited for it to come out of sleep mode. The screen became visible allowing her to see that someone was trying to contact her.

"_Incoming call from Zachary Taylor."_

The woman accepted and was greeted by two familiar male faces.

"Kimberly, hey!" William Cranston's voice could be heard first.

"Billy! I can't believe it. It's been so long!"

"Years!" Zachary Taylor responded quite amazed.

"You're calling awfully early, aren't you?" Kim asked groggily.

"I just wanted to see if you guys were going is all." Zach said excitedly.

"To the reunion? Of course, silly!" Kim said playfully, "I am so excited!"

"I am too. It will be a wonderful get together. I have missed everyone."

"Yeah Billy, I have been trying to call you for about a week now. What's the deal?" Kim inquired.

"I have misplaced my phone. I apologize for not contacting you in a more timely fashion."

"It's fine Billy, I am just glad to be hearing from you now."

"So have either of you heard from the others?" Zach piped up.

"Not at all." Kim said with a bit of disappointment in her tone. "I have been meaning to call Jason and ask him if I can crash at his place. I know everyone will mostly be staying on the mega ship but I just want a place to retreat to. I am going to need some recovery time after this." She paused, "To be honest… I am pretty nervous to see Tommy again."

"It's perfectly acceptable for you to feel that way, Kimberly." Billy replied.

"Yeah," Zach started "But it'll be awesome Kim, you'll see. You won't even want to retreat anywhere."

"Yeah… well what time do you guys think you'll get there? I think I'll show up around five. I want to be able to chat with everyone before the thing starts." Kim had always loved socializing and venues like this made her the happiest.

"Five is fine for me. Billy?" Zach asked as he looked at Billy's screen.

"See you guys there." Billy stated. "I am going to make some breakfast."

"Sounds good man. See ya, Kim."

"Bye Zach! Bye Billy! See you guys then!" Kim responded before ending the call.

'Should I go back to sleep? Or should I make some coffee and sit out back?' She pondered, still looking down at the keyboard.

She then turned to look in the mirror mounted on her closet door.

"Oh God, look at me…" She said in disgust, "Coffee… definitely."

She walked down the spiral staircase in her loft and was greeted by her feline friend.

"Alpha… come here boy." Kim picked up the grey, longhaired cat and placed him up on the table. She then poured some milk into a small dish and set it down in front of him.

After she grabbed her laptop, she began to walk out to her side patio but stopped halfway after looking at a photo that sat on top of her fireplace in the living room. Sitting on the mantle was a photo of the six of them. The original team. Kim became lost in her thoughts as her mind drifted to memories of her times with all five of those people. A big smile came onto her face.

"This reunion is going to be amazing."

* * *

"Well Mesogog?" What's the plan here?" The signature squeal that came from deep within Rita Repulsa echoed throughout the throne room.

"Don't rush him, you vile, high-pitched creature." Lord Zedd responded.

"Shut your trap Zeddy, you're lucky I haven't filed for divorce!"

"Oh, Blah, blah, blah. Can you two shut your lids for one minute? You're ruining my unusually good mood." Divatox said while she looked down at her nails. "Oh my Goodness! They are just so gorgeous! My hands should be famous for their genuine beauty."

"Yes well… no one cares about your perfect nails or your beauty… even though I see neither." Gasket snidely retorted.

"How dare you! I am gorgeous!" Divatox yelled as she stood to face him.

"Shut up, you fools. All of you… are just… pathetic." Mesagog said in his drawn-out dialect.

They all turned to face him now. "The Rangers' little celebration is in two days… and I want to give them all a surprise they will… never… forget." He paused so that he could turn around to face them all. "They will pay… for ruining us all…"

The creatures of evil all joined in for an outburst of yeah's, head nods, and small laughter. "Now let's begin…" He said as they all left and walked down a hall following him. Trakeena was the last to leave the room. She had been quiet during the meeting. The problem was that her mind was too focused on what she would do when she saw Leo again. Thoughts of how she would defeat the red Galaxy Ranger consumed her mind and had been since her father's death at his hands. But something inside of her was telling her it was unacceptable to think about these things. And whatever it was, it definitely wasn't there the first time she faced the Rangers. She had no control over what she would or wouldn't do upon seeing the red Galaxy Ranger. Her thoughts moved back to the present. Still following the group to their destination, she thought about what awaited the man sitting in the cell they were walking to. She could care less about Tommy Oliver, but again that unexplainable part of her came into play again, this time making her feel kind of bad for Tommy. She didn't want to harm the guy but then she didn't care if she did or not. She wondered if it was the human whose life force she was using, breaking through her.

"What is going on with me?" She asked herself out loud. With Rita and Zedd's chatter going on, only Gasket heard her.

"What are you talking about?" Prince Gasket asked her.

"Nothing. Mind your own business." She responded rudely.

"Hmmph." He turned back around, walking over to the other side of Mesogog."

The six of them were now facing Tommy's cell.

"Have you come back to taunt me some more?" Tommy said as he walked closer to the bars.

"That and more, Tommy boy."

He looked over at Divatox and then back at Mesogog.

"How about some food first? I see you guys like to starve your prisoners. That's just mean, you know?"

"Enough." Mesogog said irritably.

Tommy was suddenly blinded by a bright green light. He felt them near. The Tyranodrones grabbed him and pulled him out into the groups' reach. He grunted as his knees directly hit the floor. He felt them let go. The light faded away only to reveal the sole of Divatox's boot digging into his chest. He struggled against her, grabbing onto her leg. She was so strong it seemed; stronger than he had ever expected. He was struggling to breathe now. Right as he thought he was about to lose consciousness she let up completely. Breathing heavily now, he tried to regain awareness of his surroundings. He turned over onto his side supporting his chest. But his moment of relief was soon ruined as he felt something hard hit him in the back. It completely knocked the wind out of him and more. 'That had to have been either Zedd or Rita's staff.' He thought. That blow had made him yell despite him trying to hold it together. Tommy simply never had enough time to recover as the blows just kept coming. Six versus one wasn't really all that fair to begin with, not to mention that he still felt so out of it from being drugged. But the worst wasn't even occurring yet. Gasket's sword was the next thing to make contact with Tommy as it sliced through the skin on his upper left arm. Following this came Mesogog's psionic energy as it made direct contact with Tommy's head. The pain was excruciating, that much could be heard from his screams.

**MEANWHILE…**

"Andros! Look at this!" Ashley yelled over at her boyfriend.

A visual of Tommy and the whole situation could now be seen from another screen on the main deck.

The two of them watched in horror as their predecessor was repeatedly beaten.

"I have to go help him."

"Andros! Are you crazy? Look at what they're doing to him! They're too strong… we have to put together a team!"

"There is no time Ashley! They're going to kill him at the rate this is going… don't you see that?" That was the loudest Ashley had ever heard Andros raise his voice. She looked back at the screen and then back over to him. But Andros had already turned around and ran out of the room. Her attention was redirected almost instantly back at the screen though and just in time to see Trakeena continually hit Tommy in the face as the Tyranodrones held him up. There was a good amount of blood coming down the side of his face at this point. Not to mention the amount of blood he was losing from his wounded arm. Andros reappeared and walked toward Ashley as he slipped his morpher on.

"Andros…" She began.

"Ashley… I'm going." What else could she say? His mind was made up. "Let's Rock it!" He called as he morphed into the red uniform he hadn't worn in years.

"Tell Jason that we will be back."

Ashley was still, "You better come back."

Andros gave her a small nod and yelled "Galaxy Glider, Hang ten!" before teleporting out.

She looked back at the screen. Tommy was laying on the ground unconscious now. The Tyranodrones were tying him up. Ashley continued to watch but lost the feed once they had left Tommy's room. The other screen was telling her there was no use of energy or power being used at that moment either.

'So he's okay for now.' She thought with a lot of uncertainty. 'But why were they tying him up? In the shape he's in now, he couldn't do much.'

Ashley got up, remembering Jason. She was dreading making this call. She picked up the paper Andros had written Jason's communicator frequency on and preceded to make the call.

* * *

Her cell phone was ringing now. She stopped washing dishes and dried her hands quickly.

"Hello?" She asked before switching the phone to her other ear.

"Tanya?"

There was a period of silence.

Tanya gasped when she realized who it was, "Kat? Is that you?"

"Yes!" Kat replied as she laughed, "How have you been?"

"I've been good girl! Just working a lot. I've got Devon here too so my life is pretty busy these days."

Devon was Tanya's only son. She had tried to make it work with Devon's father but they couldn't live together and decided to never marry. It worked out for Tanya though. Since she had become a lawyer she barely had enough time to spend with her son let alone get involved in a relationship.

"That's good. How old is he now?" The last time Kat had seen Devon was right before his second birthday.

"Almost nine. Can you believe it?"

"That's incredible. I'm so happy for you, Tanya." Kat really meant it too.

Tanya smiled and pulled away from the phone, placing her hand on the receiver.

"Devon, go get your homework done first, then you can play your games, alright baby?"

The young boy gave her a look of displeasure and walked into the other room.

"So how have you and Daniel been doing?" She asked as she got back on the phone.

"We're apart actually. We split maybe a year ago."

"Oh, Kat… I'm so sorry."

Kat had been seeing an American man for almost four years. Her and Daniel had seemed like the perfect match but Kat was the one to pull away. She had realized she had feelings for someone else, feelings that she had actually had for quite some time before Daniel.

"It's fine, really it is Tanya." She paused, "I actually wanted to discuss the reunion."

"I am so excited! It has been so long since we were all together." Tanya replied as she turned the water back on and began doing dishes again.

"I am too!" Kat responded excitedly, "You know Tanya… to be perfectly honest, I am bit nervous to see Jason. I'm not quite sure why, but he has always given me that butterfly in the stomach kind of feeling."

"Oh wow, Kat… have you ever talked to him about it?"

"Never... and I haven't heard from him in years. He probably has a wife and kids by now."

"Well girl, you just gotta hope for the best." Tanya told her in a reassuring tone.

"Yeah…" Kat said, thinking now would be a good time for a change in subject, "Oh, hey! I spoke to Rocky and Adam. They're both really excited to go."

"That's great! What about Justin? Man it will be so weird to see him all grown up!"

Kat laughed, "Yeah, it will. But I bet he's turned into a great young man. I'm going to go give him a call actually, I'm not sure if he's coming."

"Alright, well I'll be at the reunion close to five after I drop Devon off with his dad. I'll see you there."

"I can't wait! Bye Tanya!" Kat's smile continued on past the phone call. Her thoughts were now on all of her long-time friends. 'It'll be fun to see how everyone has turned out.' She thought to herself before sitting down to look through a drawer for Justin's number.

* * *

It was 3:18 PM in the city of Angel Grove, two days before the big reunion. Jason was sitting in the living room looking again through the contents of the chest he had opened days prior. 'Maybe someone like Billy or even Hayley could recharge this.' He thought as he looked down at Tommy's old Dino morpher. He looked over at Jamie. She was outside in the front, practicing a Kata. Tommy had begun teaching her karate after she had turned ten. She was already pretty good from what Jason could see.

*Beep, beep, beepbeep, beep, beep

Jason looked over at Jamie again before looking back down at his communicator.

"This is Jason."

"Jason… this is Ashley."

"Ashley, what's going on?" He could hear some anxiety in her tone, "Where's Andros?"

"You um… you need to come to the Megaship as soon as possible."

Jason's words came instantly, "Tell me what happened."

"Please Jason… just come. I don't want to have to explain this."

Ashley ended the call as Jason looked up from his communicator. Something was really wrong; he could feel it. He got up from the sofa and grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys making his way for the front door.

"Jamie, come on! We have to leave!" Jason yelled running past her.

She was about to question him, but instead ran for the car.

The two drove off, now en route to the Astro Megaship. It sat in the middle of Angel Grove forest in a secluded area Andros had chose.

"What's going on Jason?" She asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure."

Nothing else was said after that.

* * *

"Hey… what's going on?" T.J. asked as he and Cassie walked into the room Ashley was standing in.

"Yeah, we heard the alarms go off." Cassie said with worry as she placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder.

"I think you guys should see this."

Ashley walked over to the computer screen and replayed the video her and Andros had viewed just minutes earlier.

"Oh no…" Cassie said quietly stunned. She placed a hand over her mouth as she continued to watch.

T.J. was silent, as he kept his focus on the conflict in front of him. It was bad enough what was happening to one of their own but T.J. was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that six of their once defeated enemies were the ones responsible for it all.

No one on the mega deck had realized at this point that two visitors had just entered the room.

A voice drew their attention away and to the back of the room.

"Where is this coming from?" It was Jason. Standing next to him was Jamie. Both of them had just seen the footage as well.

Jason walked over to them; the anger boiling inside of him did not go unnoticed as he continued to stare at the screen. Since he was closer now he was able to really see everyone present in the video. "No way…" He said in despair; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Jason…" Ashley began, "Andros received the coordinates and just took off. He said before he left that they'd both be back."

Jason made eye contact with no one, "I need to go in there. I have to…" He began.

"You're powerless Jason. You can't take them all on and you'd be slowing Andros more than helping him." T.J. said sternly.

"T.J.'s right, Jason. We have to believe Andros can do this." Cassie added.

"Dad…"

They all looked over at where the voice had come from. For a second there, Jamie had almost been forgotten. Her eyes were still glued to the screen as the footage continued to play. The Space Rangers were aware now that this was so much bigger than what they had thought. They had to defeat their old enemies again and get their fellow ranger and friend back in one piece. Those six together could cause an immense amount of damage.

"Hey…" Jason said looking over at her. Her face was still; tears came nowhere near her cheeks. In fact she looked like she had no emotion at all really, "Turn that off." Jason's voice was strong but quiet at the same time.

Cassie went over and switched it off.

Jason walked over to Jamie and stood next to her protectively, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. The group was quiet as they all looked in different directions. Everyone was somber.

It was all up to Andros now.


	6. Hearts and Minds

**Chapter 6 – Hearts and Minds**

There was a crash out of nowhere followed by a loud thump.

"What was that?" Ashley asked the empty room she sat in. She sat up in her bed before hearing a male's voice. He yelled as she heard another thump. Had someone just fallen in the main control room?

"Oh God, it's Andros!" Ashley leapt out of bed and ran down the hall toward what she thought would be an unpleasant scene.

'How did no one else hear that?' She thought making her way into the room.

"Ah…" The man groaned some more.

"Andros…Hold on! Please just hold on!" She frantically looked around the panels for the emergency generator. She wondered why the lights were out to begin with. This had never happened before.

"I'm coming!" She kept yelling at the injured man a few feet away.

"Got it!" She yelled as all the lights slowly illuminated again. She could see a hand from where she was standing. She quickly ran around to the other side of the control room.

"Andros…" But when she looked down Andros wasn't the man she saw.

"Tommy… oh my God." Ashley bent down and picked up his hand, leaving her left on top of his chest. "…What happened?"

Tommy didn't answer. "I'll go get some help!" She said, trying to calm him down. But looking at him made her want to cry. The pain he was feeling was real and she knew she had to stay with him. He was in his final moments alive.

"No… you c-can't… he-elp me… Andros is… de-ead…" Tommy told her between breaths.

Ashley was whimpering now, feeling as if she were about to have a panic attack.

Had he really just said the love of her life was dead?

Ashley didn't know how she was keeping it together now.

"Tommy… it's okay… you're going to be fine… we're all going to be…" She nodded her head as she said this trying to make him believe it were true. But she could see it in his eyes. He knew what was happening to him. Her gaze fell to the floor, her hands still holding his. Her eyes became squinted as she tried to keep herself from crying.

As his hand started to become limp, his eyes began to flicker before slowly closing altogether.

"Oh no…" She said in a soft, cracked voice.

Ashley lowered his hand gently, placing it on the floor next to him. She used the panel behind her to hoist herself up off the floor, doing this while trying to maintain her balance. She was crying now, there was no way she could hold it in at this point. The only guy she had ever loved was dead and the man he was trying to save had been the one to deliver this news before dying himself.

"Oh Ashley…" A voice said behind her.

She turned around. "No…" Her tone was soft, but she was on the verge of losing it.

There they were; all six of them. In Gasket's arms was Andros's body. He dropped Andros onto the floor. His body rolled once, leaving him face down.

"You're next!" Came Rita's squeal.

"No… no… no." Ashley kept murmuring, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Ashley!" She heard someone else yell. 'But who had said that?' She wondered. They sounded so distant.

"We're coming after _you_ now and every single one of your friends!" Divatox said with a laugh.

"NO!" She yelled once more closing her eyes.

They opened again only to reveal a completely different scene. Ashley was looking up at the ceiling now. She turned her head to her immediate left, Cassie now plain in view.

"Ashley… calm down, It's me, Cassie…" The Pink Space Ranger tried to be as comforting as possible. "Are you okay? …I kept trying to wake you."

"It's okay Cass…" She said sitting up as she wiped off the sweat on her face. "It was just a nightmare." She looked past Cassie at her reflection in the mirror, immediately wiping her eyes. That dream had felt so real she had actually been crying in her sleep. "This whole thing has been freaking me out. None of this should have ever happened. Andros promised me he would never use the power again and days later he's left for one of the most dangerous missions he's ever had."

"I know… But Andros will make it through it, Ashley. We all will." Cassie said with a reassuring smile. "Hey… let me get you some water, alright?"

"That would be great, thanks." Ashley said looking up at her as she left the room.

It was the night before the reunion and she had fallen asleep just two hours ago only to be woken up by a horrible nightmare. Getting through the rest of the night was a mystery to her at this point. She pushed her fingers through her hair, forcing it out of her face as she lay back against the headboard of the bed.

"I am _so_ glad that wasn't real."

* * *

**(EIGHT HOURS EARLIER)**

Cassie, Ashley, T.J., Jason, and Jamie still sat in the control room on the main deck of the Astro Megaship. They were all still waiting. Waiting to hear from Andros, but even more so for him to show up soon with Tommy.

"Does anyone want something to eat?" Cassie asked. It was getting close to dinnertime.

"Yeah, I am pretty hungry. I'll help you make something." T.J. responded, standing up.

"You hungry, Jamie?" Jason asked quietly, looking down at her.

"No." She said as she continued to gaze at the floor.

"Jamie, you really should eat something." He told her again.

"I said I'm not hungry." She answered, glaring up at him and walking a bit further away.

"Just make some extra guys." Ashley said as T.J. and Cassie nodded, leaving the room.

"You guys are more than welcome to stay here." Ashley then said to Jason turning back to face him.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Jason replied with a small smile.

"I'm not staying here without my things." Jamie said quickly.

Jason gave her a look of frustration. "Well maybe Hayley can pick you up and take you to go get them. Here, go call her." He finished, extending his cell phone to her.

Jamie took it and walked out of the room leaving Jason and Ashley sitting across from each other. Both looked like they were lost in thought. Jason was the first one to speak up.

"So when was the last time Andros morphed?"

Ashley looked up at him with a blank expression. "It's been years. But… if anyone could do this, believe me it would be Andros." She tried to sound as comforting as possible sensing he was feeling a bit down at the moment.

Jason folded his hands in his lap, looking down at the floor once more. "He means a lot to me."

"I know…" Ashley didn't quite know what to say but her expression was that of sympathy. She wished this would all be over soon but she knew it wouldn't.

"Andros is the love of my life." She finally said in a quiet tone.

Jason smiled a bit as his eyes became chinky. "When's the wedding?"

She smiled back at him before responding. "Whenever he decides to man up and ask me." She started, "But marriage is an even bigger deal on KO-35 than it is here. It's very sacred to them."

"I'm sure he'll ask you when the time is right."

"Hopefully soon." She replied, feeling some excitement flow through her at the thought. "I want to start a family with him... and preferably before I am fifty."

Jason's grin got a bit wider before he noticed Jamie walk back into the room.

"She's on her way." She said as she handed the phone to Jason.

"Well, I'll go outside and wait with you."

"No… that's fine Jason. I want to be alone for a little while… I'll just see you later."

"Alright." He understood but it didn't take away from the worry he had for her.

He gave her another hug before she left the room once again.

"Gosh, she's going through so much right now." Ashley said sadly.

"Yeah…" Jason responded with disappointment as he sat back down, "I didn't think anything like this would ever happen again. But she's taking it better than I expected."

"With the reunion tomorrow… I just hope this is all over soon." Ashley replied as she got up to look at the computer screen once more.

Jason nodded in agreement, "Me too." But his attention was redirected as DECA could be heard above them. "There is an incoming message from Andros."

"Put it through DECA." The red Space Ranger could be seen but just barely. Ashley and Jason walked over to the computer as Ashley hit a few buttons on the control panel, the image becoming a bit more clear. "Andros! Are you okay? Where are you right now?" She could see some mountains in the background, the wind very heavy as sand flew around him. "I'm okay but I must have been off on the coordinates by a number when I typed them in. I landed about 300 miles from where I should have been."

Jason immediately felt worse than he already did upon hearing that. "Are you any closer now?" He asked immediately.

"I'm almost there. I landed on the other side of this planet, in the driest part. My Galaxy Glider isn't as fast as it used to be and I had to travel through quite a bit of mountains. It took me two days to get here. Listen, I must go now though. I just wanted to check in with you."

Ashley nodded, "I love you Andros, please be safe."

"May the power protect you." Jason responded after her.

"I love you too, Ashley. And thank you, Jason. I will return as soon as I can with Tommy, I promise you." And just like that, the screen went black.

The room was quiet again. Ashley sat down in the swivel chair closest to her as Jason stood, his arms extended onto the control panel and his eyes still on the screen Andros had just been on.

They were running out of time.

* * *

The Cyber café was busy as usual but the owner was nowhere in sight.

"Uh, Kira… have you heard from Hayley, at all?" Trent asked quickly as he continued making drinks.

"No, not at all. I'm getting kind of worried." She said just before addressing their next customer.

"It's been three days. She was so short with me the last time she was here too." He said frustrated.

"Thank you sir. Your drink will be out in a couple of minutes." Kira said as she smiled.

She turned back to Trent. "Something is up. And I think she's not telling us. I mean… Dr. O has been AWOL for over a week now and that is weird in itself."

Before Trent could give his response, Hayley walked into the shop.

"Attention everyone. I am really sorry to tell you this, but I need to close up shop. I have an emergency I need to attend to." She said out loud for everyone to hear.

Some of the teens in the back groaned with displeasure and Trent finished his drink orders as everyone vacated the building.

"Okay… what the heck is going on?" Kira was the first one to inquire.

Hayley locked the front door and put the closed sign up as Ethan and Connor walked over to join Kira and Trent at the counter.

"Something bad has happened guys… so I am sorry if I haven't really been myself lately." She paused before continuing, "Just hear me out." They all nodded before she continued.

"Tommy was taken captive about a week ago." The group was immediately shocked, "And before you all bombard me with questions, let me tell you as much as I know."

She went on to explain some of her confrontation with Jason, that Jamie knew about everything, and that the last she had heard, Andros was still looking for him.

Connor was the first one to speak. "We don't know who has him… but we can be prepared for whatever might come out of this."

"I agree." Hayley replied, looking at Connor.

"What if it's Mesogog again?" Kira asked worriedly.

"We can't think about who it might be. We have to think about what we'll do when we encounter whoever it is that took Dr. O." Trent said quietly.

"Can you get the power back in our Dino Gems, Hayley?" Ethan asked.

"I can certainly try. But I am going to have to power them up differently this time around."

"Alright, well what are we waiting for?" Connor asked, resuming his leading role.

"Hold on." Hayley said as she looked down at her phone. "Jason is calling, I need to take this."

"Go ahead, we'll be here." Kira told her.

Hayley stepped into the back room and proceeded to answer the phone. She felt nerves flow through her body before hitting the 'accept call' button.

"Hey Jason… any news?"

"This is Jamie."

Hayley was a bit surprised, "Jamie… is everything alright?"

"Not really… I just need you to come pick me up so I can get my things from Jason's. I'm at the Megaship already. He wants to stay here."

"Alright, I'll leave Reefside right now to come get you. Angel Grove national forest right?"

"Yeah, I'll be standing outside." Jamie responded.

"Okay, I'll be there in about half an hour. See you soon, Jamie."

Hayley hung up and walked back out into the front of the café. "I need to go take care of a few things." She told the group standing out there. They all nodded and understood. As they said their goodbyes, Hayley promised them she would be back.

"This is unbelievable." Kira said as Hayley disappeared out the door.

"Let's stay optimistic, guys. This will all be over and the reunion tomorrow will be awesome. Dr. O will be there too, he has to be." The three nodded wishing they could fully believe Trent's words. But even he, himself, wanted to believe what he had just said.

The truth was that they all knew this was only the beginning of a horrible battle.

* * *

Jamie Oliver sat on the grass outside of the Megaship. The last twenty minutes she had spent outside had helped her to feel a little better. She looked up at her surroundings, taking it all in. She tried to enjoy the fresh air and the quiet she was enveloped in, but at the same time she couldn't shake the thoughts of her father the way she had just seen him. She hated the fact that she still had a visual of the scene and couldn't get it out of her head. She shook her head in frustration, forcing herself to think of something else. She went on to contemplate about how much her life had changed because of all of this. I mean, not very many foster kids could say a former Power Ranger had adopted them and for that she couldn't help but smile a little. Her dad had been more than one Ranger in his lifetime. She definitely wanted to talk to Tommy now more than ever; she had so many questions. But she soon became despondent again after she thought back to the present. She heard a vehicle pull up just a minute later.

Jamie walked over to Hayley's deep red convertible and got in the passenger's seat.

"Hey… how are you doing?" Hayley asked softly. Jamie looked straight ahead, pulling her seatbelt on as they began to drive away.

"Could be better." She said in a monotone.

"Did something else happen?" Hayley asked her concerned.

Jamie looked down at her hands in silence.

She was quiet for almost a minute. "There was a video of my dad." She began, "They were hurting him."

"Who are they?" Hayley asked immediately.

"I don't know their names." She replied, "The video was pretty dark but I think Jason could tell you."

"Well how was he doing? He was fighting back, right?" Hayley asked, glancing over at her.

"He couldn't fight back… they wouldn't let him. Each one of them took turns. Jason said he was drugged when he was taken so he couldn't fight as well." She answered quietly.

Hayley felt her stomach drop at Jamie's words. They continued on a few more miles through the lush forest as they began to make their way over to the main road leading back to Reefside. Hayley looked over at Jamie again before looking back at the road. She was looking out the window, her expression still dismal. There was silence for the majority of the drive before Hayley decided to speak again.

"You want to listen to some music?" Hayley asked her. It was as if Jaime hadn't heard the question at all. She was so deeply immersed in thought.

"He's a good fighter… right?" Jamie asked as she took hold of the strings on her jacket. She twirled them in her fingers while she waited for an answer.

"He's a great fighter. One of the best."

Jamie turned back to her right, facing the window once more. They were almost to Jason's apartment. Hayley knew there was nothing she could say to comfort Jamie right now. It wasn't really fair either, considering she was having a hard time grasping it all herself. Hayley turned onto Jason's street and pulled into his driveway.

"Did you want me to come inside with you?" Hayley asked her as Jamie shook her head before getting out of the car.

"Alright, well I'll be here." Hayley said again before Jamie shut the door.

She hoped that Jamie would take her time because the next task Hayley had to do wasn't going to be easy for her.

* * *

There was intense silence. Andros couldn't hear a thing as he walked around the side of the old, rustic building he had finally made it to. It was ridiculously dark there; so dark it was as if the sun never came out. This side of the planet was very green to Andros's surprise. The last twenty miles it had taken to get there had been difficult due to the amount of trees in the area. He pushed away some of the overgrown Ivy clinging to the walls. 'There has to be a way in.' He thought.

Just then he saw a group of Tyranodrones appear a few feet away. They had emerged from an invisaportal. As they left the area in the opposite direction, Andros made his way over to the portal. "It was just about here." He said as he looked around, inching closer to the portal that he thought would take him inside. He suddenly became engulfed in green light and rematerialized inside a hallway, dimly lit by a single candle on the wall. Now he would have to guess at where to go to next. He looked both ways before starting down the hall to his right. The place smelt horrible and was so cold he could have easily been in negative degree weather. Andros could feel the goose bumps on his arms through his uniform. But he kept up his pace. Time was of the greatest importance. He came to another hall with two doors, both leading elsewhere in the building. He stopped to consider which one to go through but quickly ducked back into the shadows as the door closest to him opened.

"ARGH." It was Prince Gasket.

"My name is Gasket! Prince Gasket!" He yelled in frustration. "Get out of my head! You know nothing. NOTHING!" He shook his head again, standing up straight. As he reclaimed his composure, he began to walk down the hall Andros had just come from. Andros wondered for a moment what all that was about but redirected his attention back on the mission at hand. He had managed to stay completely still and hidden during Gasket's little outburst.

"Thank God for the lack of lighting in here." He said quietly. Andros considered the possibility of going after Tommy through the door Gasket had just come from but it made more sense to him to choose the other door. For all he knew, the rest of the evil gang could be waiting at the end of that one. He took off down the hall through the second door. As he reached the end of that hall he stopped, realizing he now had four more doors to choose from. Each had a small glass window you could see inside through. He came to the first one and looked inside, letting out a quick breath.

"… What the?"

Andros wasn't even sure if what he was seeing was real. He opened the door and cautiously walked inside. Looking up, he saw five humans, each of them lying inside of an enclosed tube. There was a greenish-white color coming from inside each one.

He looked back down at the five computer screens the tubes were attached to. The person's energy and life force were being distributed to something else. He hit a button on the first computer allowing the screen to come on. But what the screen revealed made Andros's jaw drop. The screen showed Divatox's vital signs and energy. He went and turned on every computer in the room. This was it. He didn't know how Mesogog had come back from the dead but he now knew how the other five had come to be. Looking back up at the five innocent people part of this, Andros started to feel very uneasy. The realization was almost too much to bear. They couldn't destroy anyone but Mesogog, for if they did, they would be killing these people too. Before he could think any further he heard footsteps approaching. He ducked back against the wall nearest the door. He would have to wait to make his next move.

* * *

It was looking like it was about to rain outside of the Scott residence. The weather seemed to fit Hayley's mood. She looked down at her phone, leaning her head on her hand. The time could be seen on her home screen. It had been a little over 15 minutes since Jamie had gone inside. 'What is she doing in there?' Hayley thought as she considered giving Jason a call. She really just wanted to know what Jason had seen in the footage. Jamie then came running out to the car, her backpack in hand. She got inside quickly, setting her backpack down on the floor in front of her.

"Did you get everything you need?" Hayley asked as she turned around to back out of the driveway.

"Yeah, I hope so." Jamie replied as she bent down and pulled out her mp3 player. "Hayley… if you don't mind, I'd like to listen to my music on the way back." She finished, putting in one ear bud.

"That's perfectly fine." Hayley replied.

As Jamie put her other ear bud in she let her head fall back against the chair. She closed her eyes, drifting into the music flowing through her ears. Her right hand sat inside her jean pocket tightly grasping an item only she would know about for the time being.

It was usually easy to tell when a girl of her age was troubled by something. But when it came to Jamie, it was hard to tell. What amazed Hayley the most was the fact that Tommy was the same way. Both of them became distant and reserved and that was the only way she could tell when something was bothering one of them. Most of the time putting on a façade for everyone was what they did to avoid confrontation.

'This all needs to end already.' She thought to herself before changing the radio station.

Commercials were playing on every station she put on and she soon turned it off in frustration.

'I can get through the next twenty minutes.' Hayley silently told herself.

Jamie then noticed the direction they were going in wasn't right.

"Hey, where are we going?" She asked, sitting up in her chair.

"Your house." Hayley responded before turning onto the road that would take them up to the Oliver residence.

* * *

The footsteps were still approaching. But when Andros looked through the window the group comprised of old enemies walked right past him.

'Damn it, they must be going back to where they're keeping Tommy.'

He looked back up at the five people in front of him. "I'll be back for you guys, don't worry." He didn't have time to figure out how to detach them from everything, not to mention doing it in the safest way possible. "I've got to go save my friend." Even though they couldn't respond, Andros felt like they could hear him. He hoped they could at least. He looked back over at the door and then back up at them once more. "I'm sorry I have to go." He made his way over to the door and opened it slightly. He could hear laughter further down the hallway. He emerged from behind the door, closing it slowly, so that he could prevent himself from gaining any unwanted attention. He looked in through the window of the next door and saw nothing. It was pitch black. As he walked to the third door he started to feel somewhat nervous.

'Come on Andros… keep it together.'

It wouldn't have mattered if he could see inside the third room; the door was bolted shut. He looked in anyway, his mouth opening slightly as his eyes became bigger. There in the middle of the room was a table. Light shone from beneath it as a single stone sat in the center. It was of purple and grey color.

"What is that?" He quietly asked himself. He looked back down at the door. Whatever it was, Mesogog didn't want anyone getting near it. He heard a yell come from the next room.

He refocused again, making his way over to the last door. He peered in, hoping he wouldn't be seen. The group was standing around Tommy, just like he'd seen them do in the video he'd watched earlier.

"Where… is it?" Mesogog asked enraged.

Tommy sat on his knees as two Tyranodrones held him up. His hands and feet were still bound together as his head hung low.

"I'm not… telling you… _anything._" Tommy replied, practically yelling his final word. Mesogog sent a beam of energy at Tommy's head again, causing him to yell like Andros had heard him do just minutes earlier. The Tyranodrones let go of him as he fell to the floor. Mesogog continued on for almost a minute before finally letting up. By this point, Tommy had almost gone unconscious again.

"I must know the location… of this celebration they're having…"

Lord Zedd spoke up. "We'll find it, Mesogog…. Our plan will work this time."

"We should send Tyranodrones out to follow one of those power pukes to the location."

"Excellent idea… Divatox…" Mesogog replied, calming down some.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rita asked loudly.

"Yeah, we're done with him for now." Trakeena said as she looked back down at Tommy.

Andros saw them advance toward the door. He ran back down the hall to the first door and got inside before anyone could notice. 'Please just walk past me.' He kept mentally pleading. And they did. The group walked right past him again, discussing their plans as they made their way back to the main room of the building. Andros sighed with relief as he poked his head back out into the hall, making sure it was all clear.

"Alright Tommy… I'm coming." He said as he ran back toward the fourth room. Andros opened the door and went inside. There had been a light in there before; he had just seen the room a few minutes ago. And then to his satisfaction the light in there did come on. But his first obstacle could now be seen. Tyranodrones; at least fifteen of them, and one of them was holding the key to Tommy's cell.

"Well… this isn't all that fair." Andros commented before going after the creature with the keys. But of course it would be a while before he made it to that one as the rest of the Tyranodrones fought him like there was no tomorrow. 'Man… these guys are a lot stronger than the goons I had to fight back in the day.' He thought before knocking two more down.

Tommy still lay inside of the cell, unaware of what was happening in the room.

Andros was fighting as best as he could but he was seriously outnumbered. A Tyranodrone punched him in the stomach as three others held him. The force of the punch pushed him into the wall nearest him. He fell, but immediately got back up holding his stomach at the spot where he had been punched.

He went back to the fight, determined on getting himself and Tommy out of there. But little did Andros know… his plans were about to go horribly wrong.


	7. The Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter Seven- The Unexpected Visitor**

_I wish I had said more. More to the woman I loved, more to the friends that cared, and more to the young girl I became a father to. But at this moment all I could do was wish for this._

_I kept my mind occupied with the thought of getting another moment with the man who has had my back for years. Greatest guy I have ever known. With everything that has happened in my life since becoming a Ranger, I owe Jason so much. He's my brother at heart and the person that, no matter what, has led me through it all. It's the reason I chose him to be Jamie's Godfather._

_Jamie… There are so many things I could have told her. My mind drifted off at this point to memories of when I had first brought her home. Her already having an interest in karate was a definite plus for me. Becoming a father I could say at this point surpassed becoming a Ranger. I loved that girl more than anything now._

_But I soon became wrapped up in the thought of seeing her again. The woman that still had my heart to this day. It's a shame that I was so nervous about seeing her at the reunion, when all I want now is to be there with her. After all of these years, I still loved Kimberly Hart. _

_But everything had changed now. I felt the pain come and go, as I mentally battled what my body couldn't fight. I knew my eyes were open, but the blurriness was overpowering. I could barely hear as it sounded like I was underwater. As I moved my head slowly to get a better look at my right arm, I couldn't help but let out a small cry. I immediately looked away, realizing fully now that I had lost a good amount of blood. Unconsciousness was about to take me once again._

_A rattling sound caught my attention as I looked over to my left. There was a fight going on but I was trying to make out the blurry figures. I don't even think my glasses would have been of any help to me at this point._

_And then I saw him. I knew for a fact that was a Red figure fighting out there. I was pretty sure he was yelling for me but I couldn't make out the words. I just silently hoped at this point that the Red Ranger making his way over to me would hurry._

"Alright, you ugly Dino thing… Give me that key!" The Red Space Ranger said to the last standing Tyranodrone. The ones before it had each disappeared in green smoke the moment they had been knocked out.

Andros was pleased he had made an easy transition back into Rangering. He fought the Tryanodrone knowing he wouldn't stop until that key was in his possession. He pulled out his Astro Blaster and fired at the Dino mutant's claw knocking the key onto the other side of the room. As the Tyranodrone looked to see where it had fallen Andros took another shot at the creature's chest finishing him off for good.

"Hold on!" Andros yelled in Tommy's direction.

He ran over to the cell and unlocked it with ease, as he walked in and dropped to his knees next to Tommy. Andros placed the small bag he'd been carrying of first aid supplies on the floor next to him. As he continued to lie there, Andros put in an IV to get some fluids back into him. He then removed his helmet to get a better look at Tommy's face.

Tommy had stopped reacting to the pain he'd been feeling for days; he was too tired to fight it now. His skin was very pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Though the condition of his eyes was more likely to have been from lack of sleep. But Andros couldn't believe how banged up he looked. Dry blood remained on the side of his face from his hairline, to his ear, and down his neck. It was then that Andros could see just how bad Tommy's arm was. He immediately began wrapping it up, acquiring his fallen comrade's blood on his white gloves in the process.

"Tommy…." Andros began to say, "You're going to be okay, you hear me? You'll be just fine."

Andros had expected Tommy to have little reaction to his words but as he said them Tommy redirected his glare. He extended the hand from his good arm out slowly as he looked up in the Red Ranger's direction. Andros almost immediately grasped Tommy's hand in his own. Now looking incredibly relieved, Tommy allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness, leaving Andros to figure out what to do next.

But he would have to think quickly. He could hear footsteps again; they were nearing this room. He quickly shot at the only light in the room, allowing the darkness to take over once more. Andros looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the room and froze. As the door opened, Rita Replusa entered. She walked in very slowly, momentarily wondering if the Tyranodrones were let go for lunch as they were no longer in the room. The only thing visible to Rita's eyes was the man lying on the floor behind the bars in front of her. A large crack in the ceiling above allowed a small portion of light into Tommy's cell.

There was silence as she paced slowly, never taking her eyes off of Tommy Oliver's still form. Meanwhile, just a few feet away Andros crouched in the shadows of the room watching Rita with intense closeness. He had tucked the IV he'd put in Tommy's arm under what was left of his black long-sleeved t-shirt. Rita didn't seem to notice it as she continued to stare.

"Tommy…" she began, "You have no idea what's in store for you…"

Her seriousness was almost out of character for such a loud being but her message relayed that more than anything.

"I _will_ make sure you're nonexistent by the end of this. You'll suffer for everything you and every Power Ranger has done for the side of good." She paused, her expression becoming fiercer, "You took everything I ever truly wanted and for this I'll be the one to destroy you."

'No… you won't destroy him. You won't hurt anyone because you are good inside and you know it.' Rita grunted as she shoved the thoughts aside. She hated sharing her body with some pathetic human.

Andros continued to watch her, thinking about whether or not to make a move while she was present. But it was then that Rita began looking at her staff with curious eyes. She spun it around in her hand, a grin forming on her face. Andros could easily tell what she was contemplating with the gaze she had on that weapon. And as Rita then slowly raised it and pointed it in Tommy's direction, Andros's gun rose to face her.

It was a scene like no other.

* * *

"You don't have to come in Jamie," Hayley began, "Not if you don't want to."

She stood outside of the car, her hand still on the door, waiting for Jamie's answer.

"I'll stay." Came the young teen's response.

Hayley nodded and shut her door as she made her way to the front of the Oliver residence. "I'll be a few minutes." She yelled back at Jamie before going inside. Jamie watched her go in before returning her attention back to her mp3 player.

Hayley closed the door and pulled the model T-Rex's jaw down to allow herself into Tommy's lab. She made it halfway down the stairs before looking around the room. She turned around and went back up the stairs only to reappear again with paper towels, a scrub brush and cleaning spray. She couldn't bear to the look at the stained floor and she didn't want anyone else to see it that way either. As she finished scrubbing she took a moment to breathe as she set her hands on her thighs. She felt like crying really but she wouldn't allow herself. Not at this point. She got up and threw away the towels she had used before walking over to one of Tommy's cabinets to retrieve a small metal container. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and picked out a small gold one. Her expression changed from that of determined to confused upon opening the box. Inside were the Dino Gems but the black one was missing.

'Okay, either he has it or someone took it.' She thought before taking the gems over to a flat machine. It almost looked like she was weighing them as she set them on top of it. As she woke the computer out of sleep mode and opened up the program she intended to use, she inputted data allowing each gem to shine bright with color. She had spent almost two years working on the program with Tommy's help, just in case they would ever have to use the power again. Hayley would have to hope that Tommy's gem somehow reenergized too. She smiled as the process finished, happy that her efforts to restore the gems' power had been successful. As she closed the box and locked it once more she heard a crashing sound come from upstairs. She stood still as her eyes went wide. She looked back down at the box and then to her left where she saw the ideal spot to leave them. She placed the small box on the highest shelf of Tommy's bookcase in between his old college textbooks. From there she took off back up the stairs not knowing what she was going to find. As she reached the top, she looked in the direction of the kitchen and hurried over to it.

Hayley turned around the corner to see Jamie sitting on the floor in the kitchen with her back against the cabinets. She had her hands flat on her face covering her upset. Hayley took two steps closer to Jamie, placing her hand on the counter across from her. "Jamie…" She said softly.

Jamie removed her hands from her face, leaving them folded in her lap. She stared at her knees for almost a minute before answering. "…I don't understand why this is happening." She said quietly. Her nostrils flared as she continued to look down.

"Jamie… honey, it's going to be okay." Hayley responded as she tried to bend down to get closer.

"Don't…" Jamie quickly said. She let out a deep breath before continuing, "I just want to sit here."

Hayley stepped away and sat down against the cabinet across from her. She took a second to look around the kitchen. The pot of pasta Jamie had made over a week ago was now all over the floor. The crashing sound Hayley had heard was the pot Jamie threw hitting the floor.

She turned her attention back to Jamie giving her a look of concern. This was the first time she was seeing the emotion Jamie had been withholding from her.

"We can sit here for as long as you want, Jamie."

* * *

**(8:38 AM- Day of the Reunion)**

"I'm not sure how much longer I can take this." Ashley informed Jason with her arms crossed, as she paced around the room. He noticed how tired she looked. She had barely slept the night before after waking up from a nightmare.

"You can't pull up any feed, can you?" Jason asked her.

"None." She replied, "There isn't any power being used from their end right now."

"I guess that's a good thing." He replied with a frown before hearing his cell phone ring from inside his jacket pocket.

He looked down at his phone to see who was calling before looking back up at Ashley. "I've got to take this. I'll be right back."

Ashley nodded as Jason left the room. She could hear him answer as he walked out.

"Kim?" He answered slightly surprised. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you until the reunion."

"Oh, you know me Jase. I get too excited for my own good sometimes… I had to hear from you and make sure you were going!" She replied happily.

Jason tried to sound a bit more upbeat but his tone simply betrayed his words.

"Well of course I am going, Kim. I wouldn't miss it."

"You don't sound very excited." She responded flatly.

Jason gave a small, uneasy laugh. "Why wouldn't I be excited? C'mon Kim…"

Kimberly had known Jason long enough now to sense when something was bothering him and at this point it just annoyed her that he would play it off.

"Uh… Jase?" She began, "Is this a bad time or something?"

He took a second to think about what he was going to say to her. "…It is actually. I am on the Megaship already helping out Andros with a few things."

'What could he possibly be helping Andros out with?' She thought before responding, "Huh… well, okay. When are you going back to your place? I wanted to maybe stay over and catch up if that were alright with you."

"I'm sleeping on the megaship currently." He responded. He was starting to become a little irritated, not wanting the conversation to get any more detailed.

"I can't really talk much more." He told her calmly but with urgency in his tone.

She practically blurted out her next question, "Is everything alright, Jason? …Please tell me right now if it isn't…"

But at this point Ashley had entered the hallway calling for him to come back inside to the main deck. He looked up at her, not having any time to think of a decent response now. "Kim… I've really got to get going. Everything is fine; trust me. I'll see you here at the reunion tonight, okay?"

"Alright." Was all she said before he hung up.

"He didn't even say bye." Kim said as she looked down at her phone and closed it with a perplexed look.

"Something's up..." She said a minute later before opening her phone again to go through her contacts. "…And I'm going to find out what."

* * *

"What the _hell_ is going on?"

Ashley and Jason had returned to the main deck to see Andros's best friend standing in front of the viewing screen.

"Tell me I'm not seeing the red Space Ranger fighting solo on this screen."

"Zhane, we'll fill you in on everything, I promise."

"We had all decided to put the power behind us. You do remember that, right Ashley?" He asked her quickly. He wasn't pleased to see his best friend back in harm's way. "I had come here today so happy because of the reunion and then this…"

"Zhane…" Jason spoke up from behind Ashley, interrupting him. "Andros is doing me a favor."

"…He went to rescue Tommy." She quickly said after him.

Zhane calmed down a bit, looking a little confused now. "Okay… but from what?"

Ashley went over to the other computer screen and pulled up the footage from earlier where all six of their enemies could be seen.

Zhane walked closer to the screen and stood still, mesmerized by what he was viewing. Jason looked away at this point, trying not to pay attention to his best friend's cries of distress. He walked over to the nearest chair and sat down, focusing on his breathing as he tried to calm himself. He rubbed his hands quickly through his hair as if he were trying to mess it up. If anyone were to look at him at this point, they'd be able to see just how agitated he was. The footage was too much for him.

The video stopped playing about two minutes later and Ashley took that moment to put back on the footage she had called Jason in to see.

He looked over in her direction. The screen she was viewing reflected a scene he hadn't witnessed before. Both him and Zhane walked over to it and joined her.

Andros could be seen fighting a small army of Tyranodrones, as Tommy lay on the other side of the room. The lighting wasn't sufficient enough to get a good look at him but Andros was clear in sight. A few minutes passed and Andros had gotten down to the last Tyranodrone. As he knocked the key out of the Tyranodrone's hand with his Astro Blaster and destroyed the Dino mutant in the balance, the footage was lost again.

"Damn it!" Jason yelled, pounding the bottom of his fist on the console once the screen went to black again.

"It's like they're teasing us with their power." Ashley began as she shook her head in frustration, "We can't see anything unless it involves them doing something we don't like."

"At least Andros destroyed those things… whatever they are." Zhane cut in.

"Tyranodrones." Jason responded looking away from them, "We just better hope that he got that key and that those six don't return to that room anytime soon."

* * *

They had been sitting in silence for half an hour now. Hayley momentarily thought about how Jason was holding up. She knew how anxious and upset she was feeling, but she couldn't imagine the level he was at emotionally. She left that thought after looking back over at Jamie.

"Do you want to talk?" She asked.

But Jamie said nothing as she continued to stare at the cabinet to her right with her legs pulled in. Her chin was sitting on the top of her folded over hands.

"Jamie, if you don't talk to me I won't know how to help you…"

"You _can't_help me." She retorted back.

"Jamie, you have to let me try," Hayley pleaded, "We all have to look out for each other."

"I DON'T NEED HELP!" She yelled back at Hayley; making direct eye contact with her, "MY DAD IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS IT!"

Hayley was taken aback for a moment. She wanted to respond but she feared that it would backfire as it had done just now.

Jamie looked like she wanted to say something more but was struggling to do so. She kept looking at her hands. Her lips pursed as she tried to keep her eyes from watering. But the words she wanted to say were making her feel worse by the minute. "He's…" She began, taking a wavering breath, "He's going to die… I just know it."

Hayley immediately tried to respond but Jamie spoke over her, "…I'll lose him and be parentless all over again." She finished as tears finally fell onto her cheeks.

"Jamie…" Hayley began. But she was cut off again, this time by the voice of another.

"…Who's going to die?" A voice asked from behind them.

Hayley practically jumped upon hearing a third person enter their conversation. She immediately got up from the floor to see who their visitor was. Jamie had stopped crying, in shock at who was standing in front of them. The same expression could be seen on their guest's face.

Hayley would be the next to speak.

"…Kim?"


	8. Message Received

**Chapter Eight- Message Received **

"Come on…" Jason said as he glanced over at the computer screen and back down at his fidgety hands. It had been almost forty minutes since they'd seen Andros on their monitor attempting to rescue their kidnapped friend.

"He'll be here," Zhane began, "He has to be."

"I can't believe the reunion is tonight… we can't postpone it, can we?" Not only could Ashley not see this reunion actually happening tonight, but at this point she didn't even feel like going anymore.

"We have too many people coming to postpone, Ashley." T.J. interjected as he and Cassie walked in.

"He'll be here… try not to worry." Cassie said soothingly to her former partner in yellow. Ashley produced half a smile before turning away to sit down by the computer.

"It's been about four hours… I think I should call Jamie." Jason suddenly announced to the group.

Ashley nodded, "We'll be here."

Jason just stared down at his phone as he got up to leave. As he walked out of the room, T.J patted him on the back, "We're all in this together, man." Jason looked up from his phone and gave T.J. and then the rest of the Space Rangers a tired smile.

"Thanks." Was all he said before bringing his phone up to his ear and walking out of sight.

"You better answer, Jamie." He said quietly as he heard the phone ring.

Still frozen in the moment, Jamie continued to stare at Kimberly Hart; the woman she knew her father had the most history with but never dreamed of meeting.

"Who are you?" Kim barked at Hayley.

"My name is Hayley, I am a long time friend of Tommy's."

"A long time friend, huh?" At this point Kim didn't know what to think.

Hayley sighed, looking down at her feet for a moment before looking back up to give Kim a response.

"Okay… Kim?" She began, "As I have said, my name is Hayley and yes I am a long time friend of Tommy's. I went to college with him and helped him design morphers for the Dino Team that defeated Mesogog about eight years ago."

Kim let out a quick breath as she shook her head. She should have known about all of this already. 'He just couldn't stay away.' She thought before redirecting her attention to the young girl standing behind Hayley.

"And who are you?" She asked Jamie.

She stepped forward a bit and looked up at Hayley. Hayley returned the glance as Jamie wiped her nose with the sleeve of her hoodie. Her cheeks were still wet from crying. "I'm Jamie Oliver… Tommy adopted me."

Now Kim was just feeling like she was in some alternate universe. "…So you both knew who I was right away then?"

Hayley and Jamie both nodded their heads.

Kim's next question was more than obvious by the confused look she had, "So… where is Tommy then?"

They both looked away from Kim, making her feel very anxious.

"Oh God… he's not dead is he?" She quickly asked them.

"No Kimberly… he was taken from his lab about a week ago."

"Well who-" But Kim was cut off.

"I don't know who has him or why, we're awaiting for word from Andros." Hayley calmly told her.

"I need to sit down." Kim was now looking very pale.

Hayley went over to pull up a chair for Kim, sitting down in the one next to hers. Kim, usually bubbly and talkative, could say nothing as Hayley relayed more detail of the past week. "He's on the megaship right now waiting to hear from Andros but there still hasn't been anything..."

"I want to go there… right now." Kim interrupted.

Hayley frowned, "Jason said he'd call with news, Kimberly."

"No…" She began, "I want to see who's responsible and I have to be there for Jason. He needs someone right now, that much I know."

As Hayley began to further object, they were caught off guard as Jamie's phone rang from behind them.

"It's Jason…" Jamie said as she looked up from her phone at the two women sitting in front of her.

Hayley and Kim sat silently at the table as they watched Jamie answer; both nervous at what Jason might say.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jamie, how are you doin'?"

"I'm alright. We're uhhh… we're at my house right now."

"_Your _house?" Jason asked surprised, "Let me talk to Hayley for a minute." Jamie could sense some irritability in Jason's tone. She said nothing as she handed the phone over to Hayley, Kim watching the exchange with apprehensive eyes.

"Hey…" Hayley answered.

"What are you guys doing there?" Jason immediately asked.

"I didn't want to leave Tommy's lab the way it was for when he comes home." She answered him sincerely. "But before you say anything more I need you to know that we've been joined by a third person here."

By this time, Jason was pacing up and down the hall he'd been standing in. "What… Who?"

Hayley looked over at Kim who had just gotten up from her chair to reach for the phone. "Let me talk to him Hayley… please."

She gave the phone to Kim wondering if she shouldn't have.

"Jason…"

He immediately knew who it was, "Kim? What on earth are you doing there?" Jason was growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I knew something was up Jase… and who better to know what that something is than Tommy." She was so happy to finally be up to speed with everything going on, "I can't believe you would just flat out lie to me about all of this and then try to blow me off the way you did."

"Kim…" He interrupted, "I'm doing all that I can right now. I didn't want you or the others to worry, not with…"

"Yeah, that's real considerate of you but because of you withholding all of this from me I'm feeling a little more than just worry right now."

"This situation is complicated enough without more people getting involved at this point. You can't be part of this right now Kim, you just can't."

"Listen Jason… I don't care what you say right now; I've already become part of this. I will do whatever I can to help get Tommy back and you can't force me to do otherwise." She paused, allowing herself a chance to breathe, "As for you… I know you need someone right now… I know you need the support and if you're not going to accept it from me then that's on you, but I will be coming to the Megaship right now whether you like it or not."

Jason wasn't even given the opportunity to respond. She handed the phone back to Hayley before proceeding to grab her bag and small, pink-stripped suitcase. "I'm going out to the car, join me when you're both ready to leave."

Hayley put the receiver back up to her ear, "Jason?"

"Yeah…" He began, "Where did she go?"

"Out to the car… we'll be there soon."

She heard him sigh, "See you soon then." He said before hanging up.

"Has she always been like that?" Jamie asked as Hayley put her phone back in her purse.

"I couldn't tell you; I just met her too." Hayley was trying to process the events of the past hour as she looked over at the door and back at Jamie. "You ready to get out of here?"

She nodded as Hayley put her hand on Jamie's back, the two exiting the house without another word as they got into Kim's rental car.

"You know what," Hayley started as she neared her car, "I'm going to drive my car back to the Café, I told the others I'd be back."

"Well I'm coming with you then." Jamie quickly said.

"I don't know how to get to the Megaship." Kim told them looking over at Hayley through the rolled down window of the passenger's side.

Hayley held her finger up, asking for a moment with Jamie. "Jamie, please just go with Kim… I'll be right behind you." She could tell Jamie didn't want that at all. "I really have to get back to the Café and I know Jason would like to have you back as well."

"Come on, Jamie… It'll be fun! I could tell you some stories." Kim just really wanted to get out of there already. She hated feeling impatient.

Jamie looked over at Kim and back up at Hayley, "I guess."

Jamie got into the front seat of Kim's rented sedan. The two of them drove off as Hayley waved back at them. She hurriedly got into her own vehicle and left for the Cyber Café. She had little time to close down and gather the Dino team before heading over to the reunion tonight.

* * *

It was eerily quiet; at least to Andros it was. He still held his Astro Blaster in a direct shot with the chest of Rita Replusa. The evil woman, infamous to all for her role as the Rangers first villain was also known as the one responsible for Tommy's stint as the evil green ranger. Andros, having this knowledge himself, became both angry and uncomfortable seeing just how close she was now getting to her former servant. It was the hatred she had for Tommy that she was currently displaying full force that was pushing Andros to make the first move.

"I want to use this right now more than anything." She began, referring to the staff she had had pointed at Tommy for close to three minutes now, "I want you gone permanently… so gone I can laugh about it as often as I'd like." She paused, deeper in thought now, "…You should have stayed with me Tommy." Her staff rose a bit higher; the move it took for Andros to fire his weapon. Almost instantly Rita was knocked down, her staff landing a few feet away from her. Andros moved fast. He bent down and picked up Tommy as carefully as he could. At this point his weapon at his disposal was necessary. With his Astro Blaster in his right hand, he slung Tommy over his left shoulder and made his way past the evil empress, who was still struggling to get to her feet after the shock of being hit. She was yelling after Andros at the top of her lungs announcing to everyone in the building that there was a red ranger inside.

Andros took off down the hall to his left, looking back occasionally to see if he was being followed yet. He came to the first junction of many in the building and couldn't for the life of him remember which direction he'd come from. There was no time to think as he quickly ran down the second hall of three. As he came toward the end of it however, there were Tyranodrones emerging from hallways on both his left and his right. Andros immediately made his way back in the direction he'd come from. Once back at the four doors, he quickly ran into the room of the five civilians he'd left almost an hour prior. He gently laid Tommy down against the wall in the back of the room, before hurrying over to the door and latching both locks. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this place now, but at least he had bought himself a little time.

But soon Andros would realize time wasn't really on his side.

* * *

The original pink ranger, now well on her way to the Astro Megaship drove in silence with her ex boyfriend's daughter she had just found out about. It couldn't get any more awkward for Kim but for Jamie being in the same car as her was almost more than she could bear. Kim had tried to play music from multiple stations, none of which Jamie responded to. "Well! This will have to do." She said, leaving it on a country station.

"I hate country music." Jamie stated bluntly.

"Well, I really enjoy it… guess you'll just have to suck it up!" Kim replied with confidence.

Jamie bit her lip, exhaling from her nose, trying to hold back what felt like her head about to burst in annoyance.

Jamie shot her a glance, "I _really_ don't like you, you know that?"

Kim looked over at her, stunned by her statement. She was speechless for a few moments, "Look… I don't know what you have heard about me… and I'll admit my first impression wasn't the best I could give, but I want to get along with you. I care about your dad a great deal and I-"

"Don't _even_ go there." Jamie cut her off angrily, "Make a right here and a left at the end of this road."

Kim refocused on the road, deciding not to say anything further. Jamie couldn't wait until she could get out of the car. In an effort to avoid Kim even further she put her ear buds in once again. Seeing this, Kim shook her head in disbelief. She had forgotten what it was like to be around a teenager.

'Only ten more minutes.' Jamie thought to herself. Ten more minutes with the woman that broke her father's heart.

* * *

**[****Two hours before the Reunion]**

Jason was sitting outside the Megaship. It had begun to rain again, though the raindrops hitting his uncovered head were the least of his worries. He pondered why life was like this; why there was always one thing after another. It wasn't fair to his best friend most of all at this time. Just when life was beginning to become normal for Tommy it all had changed in an instant. He was gone, his daughter aware of the entirety of his past, and his best friend wondering why this happened to him. Tommy didn't deserve this… none of them did. But that thought just angered Jason. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Mesogog. Never mind the rest of the gang, Mesogog was behind it all; Jason knew that for a fact. He placed his left hand on the back of his head, rubbing it as if it were sore. He had no idea what he was going to say to Kim when he saw her and that made him feel uneasy. Mostly because he knew he was going to see her so soon. He hadn't planned on anyone else finding out about this until it became necessary. "Damn it." He said aloud. The weight and complexity of this situation was getting too heavy for his shoulder's to carry. Maybe it was a good thing Kim knew; at least he could share in the experience. He turned around to see headlights and a silver vehicle approaching. He walked out a few steps and stopped, the rain coming down on his face as he squinted his eyes to see.

Jamie was the first to run over to him, giving him a hug. "I'm going inside." She told him before running over to the entrance of the Megaship. He looked back to see that she had made it in only to turn around to the face of Kimberly Hart.

"Let's go somewhere where we won't get wet, shall we?" She asked him as they walked to the ramp leading into the ship. They sat across from each other under the covered part of the entrance. Kim let down her umbrella before sitting down. She set it aside and placed her hands in her coat, taking a look around. Her eyes met Jason's.

The words, "I'm sorry…" Immediately escaped from his mouth.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow, "You should be." She informed him.

Jason's head fell a little lower. "Any news?" Kimberly asked, hopeful.

Jason shook his head in disappointment. "None really… It's been almost three days since Andros left."

"Are you going to tell the others when they get here?"

Jason looked up at her as her question hung in the air for a moment, "I don't know." His eyes fell on the grass to his left as he wringed his hands.

"They deserve to know, Jase. Even with the reunion happening… you know they would all want to be informed about this."

Jason looked up at her with a sad, frustrated expression, "I don't even know what to say when they ask why he isn't here."

Kim got up and sat next to him, "I'll help you… we'll figure this out Jason. " She put her arm around him, laying her head against his arm. "You're like my big brother, I'll always be there for you." His eyes closed as he nodded slightly a few times. He produced a small grin. He hadn't seen Kimberly in over five years but it really felt like he hadn't seen her in days. He realized then he was going to feel even more of this once he was with the others tonight. She was right; they were going to have to tell the others… he couldn't bare the thought of being untruthful with his closest friends, especially about something so serious. But he felt comfort at this moment, something he had needed for quite some time. He returned Kim's embrace. "It's good to see you again, Kim."

"Right back at ya." She replied happily.

The heartfelt moment was broken as T.J. opened the door. "Guys, you better get in here right now. There's something you need to see."

Jason and Kimberly 's pleasant expressions immediately changed to those of frantic ones as they ran after T.J. following him into the main control room.

Once inside, their focus was instantly on the computer screen in front of them where the face of Mesogog could be seen all too clearly.

"Ah…" Mesogog started, "You made it…"

Jason couldn't believe what he was seeing, Mesogog was speaking to them directly. "I assume you have some message you want to give us, right?" Jason asked angrily.

"As a matter of fact… I do…" Mesogog's face became smaller as he backed away from the camera, the view changing into one none of them wanted to see.

"Oh my god…" Ashley said upon seeing the screen. Her hands cupped around her mouth in shock.

"What did you do?" Zhane yelled.

Andros could be seen unmorphed on the floor, the other five creatures of evil standing around him. There was blood coming from the side of his stomach that was forming a small puddle beneath him.

"Thissss… is what happenssss…. When you try to foil my plans." Mesogog told them furiously. "This one can come back to you… but don't you dare… send anyone… elsssse."

"You better send him back right now!" Ashley yelled at the screen. The rest of the group looked at her as she said this. Tears were coming down her cheeks. Cassie went over to her right away, wrapping her hands around Ashley's arms. It was as if Ashley didn't realize Cassie was pulling her back. "You're going to pay so much for this! So much, you bastard!" Her friends looked over at her with distraught expressions before refocusing back on the screen. Everyone in the room was in shock at how much worse this had all just gotten.

Mesogog ignored Ashley altogether, "I'll be sending this one back soon. As for the rest of us and our original guest you were trying to rescue here… we'll be stopping by shortly."

"Where's Tommy?" Jason asked fiercely, his anger rising by the minute.

"Don't worry about it!" Divatox yelled back at him before laughing.

"You'll see him… soon… enough." Mesogog finished as the video cut out.

Jason turned around and grunted, kicking the chair nearest him. He immediately made his way toward the door to exit the room. Kim followed behind him, feeling the need to make sure he was okay. They watched the two of them leave, all except Ashley who had fallen into the chair nearest her; Cassie with her arms still around her. Zhane did the same, taking the chair closest to him as he tried to calm himself down. Everyone else in the room was quiet, not knowing what to say at this point.

Jamie had been present for the transmission standing in the far corner of the room. Jason hadn't noticed her there as he left the room in such a hurry.

She sat down in a chair to her left, putting the hood of her jacket over her head as she put her headphones in. She played one of her favorite bands to calm her down as she glanced at her watch. Almost 5:00 PM. The reunion was only an hour away.

'What would happen next?' She thought.


	9. The Reunion Pt 1

**Chapter 9 – The Reunion Part 1**

Jamie Oliver hadn't moved from her chair in the back of the control room; not even once since Mesogog's transmission had ended. Looking around her surroundings she paused to look at each one of the individuals still in the room with her. Ashley still sat in the same position, crying softly into her palms as Cassie held her. Cassie looked almost as upset, her gaze on her shoes. Zhane sat close to her, his knuckles under his chin as he rested his elbows on his thighs. The anxiety was more than evident everyone's demeanor. T.J. had remained very quiet and reserved as he sat in the back of the room leaning against the wall closest to the door. He was deep in thought; his forearms laying relaxed upon his knees. His eyes focused straight ahead of him, where they had been for over half an hour. Jamie realized then how bad she felt for these people. She didn't understand how she could still feel compassion for them when she herself was experiencing the similar ordeal. She looked toward the back of the room as the door slid open to reveal Carlos. T.J. got up immediately to confront him as everyone in the room looked over at them.

"What's going on?" He asked worriedly, "I just saw Jason out there looking like he wanted to kill somebody." Carlos had barely come onto the main deck before T.J. was pulling him back out into the hall.

"Let's take a walk, Carlos."

The two of them left, leaving Jamie feeling like she shouldn't be there anymore. She got up quietly and made her exit as well. As she walked down the hall en route to the entrance of the Megaship, she began to wonder how everything had gotten so screwed up. 'I wish I could just see him again.' She thought turning another corner. She missed her dad more and more every day and had never felt this level of both uncertainty and worry. Jamie told herself that she would not let melancholy take over; she was an Oliver, she had to remain valiant.

She considered going outside to see where Jason was but instead walked into the auditorium that would house this weekend's festivities. She looked around the room, a smile coming onto her face for the first time in a while. There were large banners all around the auditorium representing each group of Rangers and at least 100 chairs set out around tables reserved for each group as well.

"I thought this place would be full of people by now." Jamie was caught off guard by the voice of a man behind her.

"Hey there," the man said approaching her, "I'm Leo."

"Jamie." She replied shaking the hand he had extended to her.

"That's a nice name." He said with a smile. Before he could say anything further he turned around to see his team in the hallway. "Hey guys… in here!"

"I've got to get going." Jamie quickly told him making her way out the door before any of the Galaxy team could come inside.

"Look at this place!" Maya said excitedly, "It's wonderful!"

"I know… this is going to be fantastic." Kendrix said walking up next to her.

"I like the banners." Kai told them, as he set down a wine basket on the table closest to him.

"You ready for this, man?" Damon asked Leo as he took a seat at the Galaxy team table.

"You kidding me? I'm going to love this, I've been preparing for weeks now." Leo was looking down at his index cards that were written with all sorts of notes for the weekend. It was then that Mike walked in holding a massive cake. "Thanks a lot guys for leaving me out there in the cold. It took me forever to find my way inside with this stupidly sized cake in my face."

"Just stop whining and set it down already, Mike. It's time for the fun to start." Leo looked at his brother with pure exuberance.

"You're sure excited, baby brother." Mike placed the cake on one of the long tables in the back of the room before walking up on stage to get a look at the place.

"You're going to be nervous." He said, prompting Leo to look up at him.

"Oh, I'll be fine. Don't you worry, unlike you I'm not afraid of crowds."

"Uh-huh." Mike smiled as he walked behind Leo, "I'm going to go check on the sound."

"Kendrix!" Cassie yelled ecstatically as her and T.J. entered the room. The Galaxy Rangers came over to greet them with warm smiles and open arms. "It's so good to see you guys again." Kendrix said beaming.

"Where are the others?" Leo asked.

"They're here… but Andros will be a little late." Before him and Cassie could take any further inquiries T.J. spoke again, "We'll get them and grab some food to bring out here. Make yourselves at home." Cassie smiled at them before looking at T.J. for a queue to exit. As the Galaxy Rangers began to settle in, the Space Rangers continued to put on facades for their guests. Carlos, having just found out, hadn't left the kitchen since T.J. had spoken to him. He needed time to process it all at this point. Ashley and Zhane had both fled to their rooms to gather themselves before going into the reunion. T.J. and Cassie walked into the kitchen to gather food from the simulator. Upon seeing them come in, Carlos quickly left not wanting to talk.

"How is he doing?" Cassie asked, grabbing a basket of separated silverware.

"He's upset that we didn't tell him about this sooner. He's taking it better than the others though."

"He would… he hasn't seen what we have." Cassie said somberly, her thoughts redirecting to Jason's and Kimberly's whereabouts. "They haven't come back since the transmission, have they?"

"Who? Jason and Kimberly? …I don't think so."

"Maybe we should go see if they're alright." Cassie suggested.

"No, they'll come in when they want to. We just need to give them some space I think."

Cassie nodded, frowning slightly knowing that T.J. was right.

"Let's get these plates out while they're still hot." T.J. walked toward the hallway with two platters full of assorted cooked meats, Cassie right behind him.

More people would arrive within the hour.

* * *

The sound of a text message being received could be heard from on top of a counter in the Cyber Café. "Hayley's on her way back." Trent said looking down at his phone. "She said to close down and wait for her out back. We're going to follow her to the Megaship."

Kira looked up at the clock as she got up, "6:13… the reunion just started."

Ethan, who had been sitting across from Connor at another table looked over at him. Connor was still staring at the salt and pepper shakers on the center of the table. "We're coming." He told Kira and Trent as they walked into the back room.

"Did you hear them?" Ethan asked as he walked over to Connor's table. "Connor?"

Connor looked up at him in a daze, as if he had just been woken up from a dream. "Yeah, sorry… I was just thinking about everything."

"Aren't we all." Ethan responded in a low tone, "Come on."

Connor got up and followed him into the kitchen, as they made their way outside to meet the others.

"It looks like it's going to rain." Ethan said as he got outside and noticed the dismal looking sky. He sat down with Connor at the only table outside of the café.

"You okay, Connor?" Kira asked, looking over at him.

"I guess…" He started, "It's just… I have this overwhelming feeling that hasn't left me since we found out about Dr. O."

"About what?" Trent broke in.

"I feel like he's back… that Mesogog is behind this all."

"We destroyed him… there's no way, Connor. We saw it." The thought of Mesogog being back made Ethan feel uneasy.

"Think about it for a second, guys." Connor began again, "Whoever it is was able to break into Dr. O's lab undetected… they're not new to this game. And to be able to take someone like Dr. O so easily…" He paused to look at his teams' expressions before finishing, "Mesogog was partnered with a scientist for years, he would have figured out in that time a way to prolong his life or bring himself back in the chance he was defeated."

"That makes sense." Trent said quietly.

"I'm not going to make assumptions at this point," Kira said, folding her arms to try and keep warm. "We'll find out who it is soon enough."

Headlights could be seen coming from down the alley as the group looked up to see Hayley pulling into her parking spot near them.

"Hey guys…" She said with a small grin as the former Dino Rangers walked over to meet her, "Did you lock up, Trent?"

"Yep, front and back."

"Are you okay, Hayley?" Kira asked, seeing she looked a bit stressed.

"I've had better days."

"Did anything else happen?" Connor asked her. He hated not knowing what was going on.

"They saw new footage…" Hayley began slowly, "Tommy was getting beaten pretty badly, Jamie told me he couldn't fight back." The four young people stood silently, listening as intently as possible. "She didn't get a good look at who they were."

"Wait… did you just say 'they'?" Connor asked, giving a stern but startled look.

"Yes, there were six of them fighting Tommy… they were each taking turns. That's as much as I know." Hayley's face was starting to tighten. It had already been hard enough telling Kim all of this.

"This just got so much worse." Ethan stated in a defeated tone.

"It's 6:34 guys… we should probably head over there." Trent announced.

"I'll ride with you, Hayley." Kira said, putting her hand on Hayley's upper back.

Hayley pulled out first, allowing the boys to follow behind them in Trent's car.

They were going to be an hour late to the reunion.

* * *

Emotions ran high after the video of Andros was revealed. Jason and Kimberly were standing by the side of the Megaship. Jason had made the walk over there after being seen by Carlos. He couldn't go into the reunion like this and he didn't want anyone else seeing him this way either. Jason paced from side to side with his hands on top of his head as Kimberly watched. Kimberly wished she would have brought her umbrella back out since the two were standing directly in the rain. It had been about forty minutes since they'd seen the latest video transmission and Kimberly was afraid she wouldn't be able to get Jason to calm down enough to go back inside.

"Jase… we have to go back in. The reunion has started. Everyone should be here by now." She was almost yelling at him, trying to be heard through the heavy rain.

"Something real bad is going to happen, Kim." He said as he continued to pace. Nervousness was an emotion Jason had rarely shown in the past but now he couldn't help but show it. "I just can't."

"What?" She asked him frustrated, "What do you mean you can't?"

He stopped pacing and walked closer to her, "I can't go back in there… I can't face any of our friends. He was looking directly at her now, "I can't tell that little girl in there that she'll get to see her father again and that thought just about kills me inside, Kim…" He stopped then, realizing that he had been raising his voice at her. He turned away not wanting to see Kimberly's purely sympathetic eyes. She walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Jason…"

He continued to face away from her. "This isn't how it's supposed to be." Kimberly pulled him back around and put her arms around him.

"We'll get through this… we always do." Jason returned the gesture, closing his eyes.

"He'll be okay."

Jason wished he could believe her. He pulled away from her, "It's not just Tommy… we're about to have a new battle on our hands and none of them in there even know it yet." He added waving his arm back at the megaship.

His peripherals then caught something, his view redirecting to the woods behind Kim. His focus changed as shock and confusion came over him.

"Hey!" Jason yelled running past Kimberly toward the woods. Kimberly had no choice but to follow, running after him. "Someone was looking at us from over here." Jason told her as she caught up with him. "Jason, look!" Kimberly yelled, startled as she pointed to an area left of them. She thought she could see a boot in the brush from where she was standing. Jason went first, quickly going over to see what it was. She gasped as she watched Jason take the head covering off of what appeared to be a body wrapped in brown cloth. She could see a silver jacket.

"Andros…" Jason turned him over gently. He felt for a pulse as Kim watched with a worried expression.

"He's alive." Jason told her, "We need to get him inside."

"But what about everyone in there?"

"Just help me, Kim."

The two of them managed to get Andros's arms around their necks as they hoisted him up and walked at a comfortable but steady pace out of the woods. As they came around the corner of the Megaship to the back entrance, Hayley and the Dino Rangers could be seen just arriving. As they got out of their vehicles they immediately ran toward Jason and Kimberly.

"Jason! What happened… when did you…" Hayley managed to say before being cut off.

"Hayley, can you go inside and get T.J. and Carlos?" Jason asked immediately.

Connor took over for Kim, seeing that she was getting tired. He and Jason brought Andros up the ramp and under the covered area as they waited for Hayley to return with the others.

"Where was he?" Kira asked.

"In the woods right over there." Kim replied, pointing to the area they had just come from. She was trying to catch her breath.

"This is a sign…" Jason spoke up, everyone's attention now on him.

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

Kim's gaze told Jason that she was thinking exactly what he was and just like that she finished for him, "They're coming."

* * *

Everyone was still chatting and eating dinner. The reunion's festivities weren't set to start for another half an hour.

"Have you seen Jason yet?" Zack asked Billy as the two walked up next to Rocky on the buffet line.

"Not yet. I haven't seen Kim or Tommy yet either." Billy replied as he dished out some potato salad onto his plate.

"Billy! Hey…" Rocky said looking at the two of them.

"Rocky!" Billy said as he extended his free arm around Rocky's neck for a hug. "It's good to see you. You remember Zack?" He asked Rocky as Zack extended his right hand.

"Yeah… I met you at Zordon's funeral, right?"

Zack nodded, "Yeah… it's nice to see you at a happier event."

"Hey, look… it's Rocky!" Tanya said as she walked into the auditorium with Kat. The two of them walked over to join the three men. Kat extended her arms to embrace Rocky, who happily returned the gesture before hugging Tanya.

"You look great, Rocky." Kat told him with a warm smile.

"You really do… this is so amazing guys, I haven't seen you all in so long." Tanya was more than excited at this point. She turned to see two of her predecessors standing there. Tanya paused, looking over at Zack with a satisfied expression. "I remember you… Zack, isn't it?"

"That's right," Zack said smiling. He used both of his hands to grab one of hers, "I remember you too, Tanya… though I couldn't forget a face like yours."

Tanya looked a little embarrassed but pleased nonetheless. She looked over at Kat who was already beaming.

"I may just have to come over to your table for a chat later." Tanya told him with a coveting look in her eyes. It was then that Kat moved over to hug Billy.

"It's great to see you both again." Billy said to the two women.

"Adam! Over here!" Rocky yelled suddenly.

"Hey guys!" Adam said happily, "I see you've already started in on the buffet, Rocky."

"Ha…ha." Was all Rocky said before turning around to grab another handful of chips. Adam gave Kat and Tanya a hug before turning to face Billy.

"Billy… It's good to see you." Adam told him politely as he shook Billy's hand.

"And you." Billy replied before taking another sip of Merlot.

"How have you been, Adam?" Kat asked placing her hand on his shoulder momentarily.

"Oh, just great. Really great. My band has been touring most of Europe for the past year."

"I heard about that! That's so awesome, man. Are you going to perform here for us?" Rocky asked excitedly.

"Maybe… we'll see." Adam began as he picked up one of the appetizers closest to him. "I'm kind of enjoying the break… How about you guys? …Kat? What have you been up to these past few years?"

She looked down for a moment, her hand covering her mouth as she finished a bite of Caesar salad. "I've been good. I went back to diving for a little while actually. It was a great way to travel being on a professional team. I'm actually writing a children's novel now."

"Wow, that's really great, Kat." Adam said with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe my kids will come across your book someday." Rocky added.

"You have kids, Rocky?" Tanya asked immediately.

"Yeah, I have two. Jeremy is nine and Eliza is six now."

"What did you tell your wife you were leaving for this weekend?" Billy asked out of curiosity.

"Well… I filed for divorce about four years ago. When I dropped off the kids with her yesterday I told her I was leaving to go to a conference for work."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rocky." Kat told him sympathetically. She hated the thought of divorce. Having never been married herself, she couldn't even fathom the idea of a divorce.

"It's fine… really it is. But uh… yeah, what did you end up doing after your Ranger days, Billy?" Rocky asked in a quick attempt to redirect the attention from himself.

"Well… I originally wanted to be a doctor but after all of those years in the command center, working on the zords and the time I spent on Aquitar, I was drawn to NASA."

"What do you do for NASA?" Zack asked as he poured himself some more water.

"I am an electrical engineer. I truly love what I do, having always had a fascination for the universe. This way I can help others discover what I have been so fortunate to see."

"It's a beautiful thing, doing something you love to do." Tanya added.

Billy smiled, "It definitely is." His attention was then redirected toward the entrance to the auditorium behind him, where a frazzled looking Hayley had just emerged. "Will you guys please excuse me?" He asked the group before quickly walking over to her.

When she noticed him, she wasted no time wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Billy…I am so happy to see you right now." She began before pulling away to look at him, "You have to come with me."

"Hayley… what's going on? You look like you haven't slept in days…"

She began to pull him out of the room after she noticed the group Billy left behind were giving them bewildered looks.

"I tried to get ahold of you sooner… I don't have time to explain it all right now, I have to find Carlos and T.J."

"I'm so sorry I didn't return your calls, Hayley. I'd been waiting this past week for a replacement phone to come in the mail."

"It's fine, Billy. Really it is…" Hayley reassured as she rushed down the halls of the Astro Megaship. She was knocking on every door she came across. The next one she went to knock on opened before she could reach it.

"Hi…" A woman said as she walked out of the room, "Did you guys need something?"

"…You're Ashley?" Hayley asked with a questioning look. She used her memory of Tommy's video history of the rangers as her source to remember everyone's name.

Ashley nodded. "I'm looking for Carlos and T.J., can you take me to them?"

"Yeah, I think they may be in the kitchen." She confirmed as she walked ahead of Hayley and Billy. She led them down a little ways to the kitchen where the rest of the Space team was.

"I need Carlos and T.J." Hayley said again upon entering the kitchen.

"For what? We're almost done here." Carlos responded looking back down at the fruit bowl he was organizing. He wasn't in the mood to do much of anything else.

T.J. noticed the pleading look Hayley was giving them, "What's going on?" He asked as he set down some plates and walked over to Hayley.

"Jason asked me to come in and get you guys. He and Kimberly found someone unconscious out in the woods. I'm pretty sure it's Andros." Her words instantly grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. They all immediately stopped what they were doing and made their way out of the room toward the entrance to the ship. Zhane stopped to close the door to the auditorium as he heard Leo's announcement being made, "Everyone take your seats… let's get this thing started!"

Zhane looked back at the door where he could see Carlos and T.J. taking over for Jason and Connor, lifting Andros's arms over their shoulders as they walked inside. He joined the rest of the space team in the walk to the medical bay, unable to take his eyes off of his best friend who was out cold.

"Jason… Kimberly…." Billy said, looking at them with worry.

"You guys should go inside and join everyone. I'll let you know if anything changes." Hayley told the Dino team. They all gave her a look of disappointment before turning to go into the auditorium. Trent closed the door behind him leaving only her, Billy, Jason and Kimberly out in the hall.

"I'm going to go find you both some towels to dry off with." Hayley told Jason and Kimberly before disappearing back down the hall.

"What's-"

But Billy was cut off, "Tommy was taken a week ago." Kim said, not wanting Jason to have to talk about it. Kim held herself trying to keep warm as Jason leaned against the wall across from Billy with his hands in his pockets and his view on the floor.

"Do you know who took him?" Billy inquired almost instantly.

"All we know…" Jason started as he looked up at Billy with a forlorn expression, "Is that Andros wasn't able to bring him back."

"They're coming here soon, Billy." Kim stressed.

"They? Who are they?" Billy asked, starting to feel uncomfortable.

Before either of them could answer, Hayley reappeared with towels. They all could hear Leo speaking from the stage.

"I wanted to begin this ceremony on a serious note," Leo began, "We are all here because this is our time to be honored and truly acknowledged for all of the amazing things we have accomplished in our time as Power Rangers. This world is safe because of us… because of our never-ending desire to fight for what is right… what is just." He paused, taking a moment to swallow. "There are a couple of people that couldn't be here with us today that I would like to recognize, the first being Trini Kwan. We lost Trini a number of years ago, her death being incredibly hard for many to accept. But her spirit lives on within us all, a spirit that those closest to her could tell you made her the perfect choice to be the first yellow ranger."

Kim was finding it difficult to pay attention to what she was doing upon hearing Leo speak of one of her greatest friends. She was beginning to sob despite trying to hold her emotions back. Billy walked over to her, pulling her into him. He kissed the top of her head before resting his chin on it. Jason watched, relieved that Billy was there for her. Even after all of these years, they were all still so close.

"The second person I wanted to recognize is the wise galactic sage that always inspired and looked out for us as our mentor, Zordon of Eltar. If it weren't for him, none of us would be here today. The sacrifice he made for us all was so substantial that there is really no way to truly recognize it. His death brought down some of the biggest names to ever fight for the forces of evil, including Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. His death allowed Earth to be free from the threat once again. And most importantly, his death showed us all what it really means to be on the side of good." Leo paused, taking in a deep breath. "It's at this time that I would like to have a moment of silence for these two incredible beings."

"I'm going to get some dry clothes from my car." Kim told the others quietly. She wanted a few minutes alone at this point. The day's events had completely worn her out and the mention of Trini was just about too much for her.

"Did you need some help?" Hayley offered.

"No, I think I'll be fine. But thanks, Hayley." Kim pulled her towel over her head as she walked back out of the megaship into the cold, the others watching her leave.

At the same moment, Jamie could be seen walking inside.

Billy and Hayley watched as Jason walked over to her, bending down to give her a hug. "Why were you out there?" He asked her.

"I was looking for you."

"Are you okay, Jamie?" Hayley asked, placing her hand on Jamie's back. She looked a little upset.

She nodded, "I just wanted to find Jason. I was scared not knowing where you were." She finished looking back at him.

"I'm going to take a walk to clear my head before going into the reunion. Billy, would you want to come with me?" Hayley hoped some alone time with Billy would help her feel a little better.

"Of course." He told her, "We'll be back, Jason."

Jason nodded; he and Jamie watching the two walk away.

"You look like you're going to be sick." Jamie noted.

"I'm just really tired…" Jason was partially telling her the truth but he got the feeling Jamie knew that already.

"You're worried too..."

Jason would always be impressed by how perceptive Jamie was for her age. "Yes… I am worried. But that doesn't mean you have to be too. This will all be over soon, Jamie. I promise you, it will."

"I saw him… I saw you all with Andros outside of the Megaship." She said sternly as she took a couple of steps back from Jason, "He wasn't able to bring my dad back so don't lie to me and tell me that it will all be over soon." Jamie placed her headphones back in and proceeded to walk down the hall away from the auditorium.

"Hey!" Jason spoke loudly enough to cause Jamie to turn back around. "Don't walk away from me like that."

She took one ear bud out, "Don't talk to me like you're my dad, because you're not." She spoke so forcefully that Jason didn't really know how to respond.

Jamie proceeded to walk away again, "Where are you going?" Jason asked in frustration.

"Don't worry about it." She placed her ear bud back in as she quickly disappeared down the hall.

"Jesus! Did I have that much attitude when I was her age?" He asked himself out loud.

He looked up and around at his surroundings. He was alone now in the quiet of the hallway. He had heard Leo announce something about putting on a video and assumed they were currently trying to do so. He decided he would wait for Kim to return before going inside to join their friends. All he could think about was Tommy's well-being and when the enemy would arrive.

'They won't know what hit them.' Jason thought as he stared at the auditorium door.

* * *

I awoke to sounds foreign to my ears. The temperature of the room I was in told me immediately I was no longer inside of the cell I had called home for the past week. I was so cold that it made it more difficult for me to move than it already was. It was a lot brighter in this room. I squinted my eyes as I tried to open them as much as possible. They burned, no doubt from lack of sleep. I could see machines just a few feet away from me. The curiosity of what those machines were being used for was just enough to renew some of my strength. Still, I couldn't help but let out a groan as I tried to get up off the floor. I knew I didn't have a whole lot of strength to begin with considering I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in a couple of days now. I did my best to walk over to the machines holding onto my injured arm. It hurt like hell, that arm. I had to stop halfway to support myself on one of the building's pillars. I took in a deep breath before attempting to walk the rest of the distance. As I neared them I immediately noticed someone inside. That really got me going, prompting me to check each one to make sure I didn't know any of them. And I didn't, which was a huge relief. But what were these people being used for?

The door to my right swung open then. Andros emerged completely out of breath as he fully locked the door behind him.

"Tommy!" He yelled as he ran over to me. He placed his arm under mine as he walked me back over to the wall. "You need to rest." He told me forcefully as he leaned me back down onto the floor.

"What is Mesogog using those people for?"

"Those five," Andros began, "Are five of our enemies."

"What?" I asked immediately.

"Here," He said as he handed me a small bottle of water, "Drink as much of this as you can."

I saw him stuff something into his medical bag before pulling out some antiseptic for my arm. "So Mesogog is using their life forces for the other five. But that doesn't explain how their spirits came to be." I said to him slowly. "We can't attack them… we'd be killing these people."

I grunted then as I clenched my teeth. My arm felt like it was on fire as Andros applied the antiseptic. "I know… I'm sorry, Tommy. If you want to keep your arm, I have to do this."

"You're lucky this is your worst injury," He told me, "You've lost a good amount of blood but you're probably more weak from lack of nourishment."

"How long has it been?" I asked, "Since you brought me in here?"

"About ten minutes or so. When I left you here you were unconscious."

"Where did you go?" I asked him as he finished wrapping my arm back up.

But he would never get the chance to tell me. The door burst open then, smoke coming through it now. Andros did his best to cover me, the blast startling both of us. Mesogog walked in, followed by the other five former enemies. Andros had his Astro Blaster up immediately.

"You're wasting… your time." Mesogog cautioned, "You're only… prolonging… the inevitable."

"And what's the inevitable, Mesogog?" Andros countered.

I couldn't let Andros face them alone. I started to try and get up again. Divatox laughed as she watched me struggle to do so. Her laughter prompted Andros to notice me. "Tommy… stay down! This isn't your battle to fight."

"It isn't yours either." Prince Gasket said as he slashed Andros's side with his sword. Andros was caught completely off guard, landing on the floor near Tommy. The cut was deep enough to cause him to bleed some. I watched as he lay on his side holding the wound with both of his hands. 'That was a lucky shot.' I thought as I watched him demorph.

"Andros!" I yelled as I tried to get over to him. I was being pulled out of the room by Trakeena and Prince Gasket.

Andros looked over at me trying his best to speak, "I'm so sorry…" He managed to say.

"You have nothing to apologize for." I reassured him, as I was pulled further and further away. I was still looking back at him as Mesogog used his psionic powers once again to cause Andros an immense amount of pain. So immense it wasn't long before I saw Andros lose consciousness altogether.

"It's time… we send our message to those rangers." Mesogog announced.

"Let go of me!" I tried not to let on how much it hurt having Gasket's hand squeezed so tight around my wounded arm. It was like he knew though as he squeezed even tighter.

"It's time for your fate to reveal itself, Tommy." Lord Zedd taunted.

"Can't wait." I told him as I calmed myself as best I could. My anger was more than obvious by now but I refused to show them the extent of it. I was in the hallway again still being held by Trakeena and Gasket. They let go of me a moment later as Tyranodrones took over for them. "Have I said you won't succeed in anything you're planning to do?"

Mesogog seemed more than confident, "I think I already have, Oliver… I have _you_."

At that last word I felt a needle go into my neck. I could hear their laughter. My eyes began to cloud as whatever they injected me with began to take effect. The last thing I saw was a pair of eyes staring at me.

They were Rita's.


	10. The Reunion Pt 2

**AN**: This took some time to get here, I know. As always, I thank you all for your patience. I'd like you to know that I've updated the last five chapters; more details were needed for sure. I really took my time with this chapter… I hope you like it. -K

**Chapter 10- The Reunion Part 2**

"Is this plan of yours going to work?" Lord Zedd asked as he walked over to stand next to Rita in the back of Mesogog's lab.

"We shall soon find out." He replied.

Tommy lay unconscious on a table toward the center of the room, the rest of the villains surrounding him. Everyone was anxious to see Mesogog's plan put into action.

"How will you know it worked?" Trakeena asked as she looked over at Mesogog.

"We will do a test." Mesogog told the group as he walked over to Tommy. He was carrying a syringe with clear purple fluid. Mesogog placed the needle in Tommy's forearm allowing the fluid to disperse into his body. He immediately woke, gasping for air as he began to shake.

"He's experiencing it just as I did." Mesogog noted, "It becomes rather cold as it enters your body."

Tommy was fully conscious by this point and able to hear the others in the room, "What… did you do… t-t-to me?" He continued to shake, feeling as if he had just been completely buried in snow.

"Ahhh… you're awake." Mesogog said as he looked down at Tommy, "I think it's time to see if we were… successsssful."

Tommy wanted to open his eyes but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He pulled at his restraints as hard as he could but what little strength he had left wouldn't be enough to free himself.

"You're wasting… your time." Mesogog spoke slowly, "The fluid has already made it through your blood stream." But Tommy still continued to try and break free.

"Prince Gasket… Will you do the honors?"

Gasket nodded, "Certainly." He replied as he stepped in front of Mesogog, his sword drawn.

As if feeling like you're going to freeze from the inside out wasn't bad enough, Tommy let out a painful cry as he felt intense pain come from his chest. He had felt pain like this in the past when he would get injured in battle but he knew no one had come up to attack him.

"Did it work?" Rita asked, walking closer to Mesogog. He raised his head slowly as he looked over at his adversaries, "Yessssss." He responded incredibly pleased as he took a few steps toward them, "We're done here… Round up the Tyrannodrones, Trakeena… He can go back to his cell for now."

Trakeena nodded as she left the room first, the others just behind her.

"I wish I had thought of something like that back in the day." Divatox said, impressed with Mesogog's presentation.

"I agree." Prince Gasket added, "And here I thought the Machine Empire was advanced for its day. If I had had that kind of ability I would have been a supreme ruler."

Tommy could hear them in the hall as they walked further and further away from the room he was in. He had stopped shaking by now, lying still again as his eyes remained halfway open and his mouth slightly ajar. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he continued to stare at the ceiling. He looked completely disheartened as he finally started to realize what he had been brought there for. He knew what had just been done to him and why.

He knew he was going to die.

* * *

"How is he?" Ashley asked as her and Cassie watched the rest of their team tend to their wounded leader.

"I don't know yet…" Carlos replied, "He has no life-threatening injuries from what I can see." He had just told his friends that he had been working as a registered nurse and was already taking pride in showing them what he could do.

"Can you hand me the life scanner?" T.J. asked Carlos as he watched him sew up Andros's single wound on the side of his abdomen. Andros remained unconscious, lying still on the bed with his shirt off.

"The scanner isn't showing anything abnormal." T.J. said with relief.

"This wound is from a sword." Carlos quickly said, "The blade just barely missed his liver."

"So he's going to be okay then?" Ashley asked, taking a few steps closer to her boyfriend's bed.

"Yeah, he should be fine." Carlos replied, squinting his eyes as he pushed the needle through Andros's skin once more. Ashley felt a tremendous amount of relief upon hearing his response.

"That's such great news." Cassie said as she stood behind Ashley.

"Is he going to wake up soon?" Zhane asked as he continued to watch Carlos apply stiches. He sat at the head of Andros's bed with his hand on his best friend's shoulder. Carlos nodded to Zhane before telling the group he would return with more gauze.

T.J. watched Carlos leave before looking back at everyone with an agitated expression, "We should get back to the reunion. We don't want to raise more awareness than we already have."

Zhane looked up at T.J. instantly, "Why is that? _Shouldn't_ we be raising awareness?"

"We should be." Cassie commented softly as she looked over at T.J.

As Ashley looked from Zhane to Andros, she shook her head slowly in disapproval, "None of them deserve to be left in the dark like this."

T.J. stood still not knowing what he wanted to say. Almost a minute went by before he looked up at everyone with a determined expression and left the room.

He walked down the hallway at a reasonably fast pace. As he reached the door to the auditorium he was disappointed to see there was no one standing in the hall anymore. He could hear music coming from the reunion as he walked back in the direction he had come from.

"Pardon me." Someone then said. He hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" He looked up to see he had run into Katherine, "Katherine!"

"Hi T.J." She greeted, slightly amused.

"You wouldn't know where Jason is, would you?"

"No?" She responded in bewilderment, "I haven't seen him yet, actually. He's here?"

"Yeah, I saw him earlier. I uh… I just needed to ask him something."

"Is everything okay?" Katherine's instincts were still very much intact.

"Yes… everything is fine." He reassured as he started down the hall again, "I've got to go though, I'll see you back inside."

Katherine would have said more had she been given the opportunity. 'That was really odd.' She thought to herself before heading toward the ladies room. She wondered for a moment where Jason was and why she hadn't seen him yet.

Little did she know he was just down the hall from her getting ready to go into the celebration he had been avoiding. He stood in the restroom, carefully combing over his hair. He noted how exhausted he looked, but by now he had allowed the cool, collected side of himself to take over. He felt a little more excited, which was good, but he still didn't know what he'd say to everyone when he saw them. He let out a sigh as he grasped the edge of the sink with his hands.

"I can do this." He stated quietly as he looked up in the mirror again. His eyes then shifted as the bathroom door opened.

"Jason… I'm glad I found you." T.J. spoke sternly.

"Why? What's going on?"

"We need to tell everyone, Jason. They're going to drop in here at any minute and we need to-"

"I know." Jason interrupted, "I'm planning on telling them within the hour."

T.J. didn't look pleased with Jason's response, "T.J. I promise… Everyone will be up to speed soon." T.J. looked away for a moment before Jason spoke again, "How is Andros doin'?"

"He's going to be okay. Carlos said he should wake up sometime soon."

"Oh, good…" Jason replied with some relief. He looked down at his watch just after he spoke. He was already two hours late. "Well… I guess I'm going to head over to the reunion. I'll see you in there."

T.J. nodded as Jason walked past him and down the hall to his left. He began to walk in the opposite direction back toward the medical bay, thoughts of how much more he had wanted to say to Jason flooding his mind. He would just have to trust the original Red Ranger's judgment.

Jason was almost to the auditorium when he heard someone yell his name from behind. He turned around to see Kimberly quickly walking up. She wore a pink dress that was tight around her waist and ended just before her knees. Her hair had been straightened but she had left some curls layered throughout.

"You look great, Kim."

She smiled, seeing he was wearing a suit with deep red tie, "Thanks, Jase. You don't look too shabby yourself."

It was then that he noticed the necklace Kimberly was wearing, "Did Tommy give that to you?"

"What?" She asked before seeing what Jason had his eyes on, "Oh yeah," She began, grabbing the necklace with both hands as she looked down, "He gave this to me just before I left for Pan Globals. He said it was something for me to always remember him by."

Jason smiled, "I remember him showing that to me before he gave it to you. I liked that the falcon is white."

"Yeah, me too… I just felt I needed to wear it for some reason." Jason's smile faded a bit as he thought about everything again for a moment.

"You ready to go in there?" She asked, looking up at him.

Jason breathed forcefully through his nose as he glanced down at his shoes for a moment.

He then looked back up at the auditorium door, "Yeah… I think I am."

* * *

Jamie sat in a chair on the main deck. She had been there since her confrontation with Jason. She, as always, had her headphones in, her legs dangling just above the floor. She didn't want to talk to anyone and really didn't want to be part of a big party when she could care less about practically everything at this point. Nothing felt right to her anymore; she was consistently feeling worse and worse every day her dad was gone. Jamie hated that she was unable to seek comfort from Jason either but she couldn't hold it against him; she knew her dad being gone was affecting him just as much if not more.

She scrolled through her phone at the pictures she had acquired in the past three years. She smiled, seeing the fourth one come up. It was a photo of her holding a plaque entitled, "Youth Fighter of the Year." She had earned the award for the impressive number of matches she had won in her division. Tommy had practiced with her for months before the tournament. He stood next to her in the photo with a huge smile on his face; he was incredibly proud of her that day. Jamie felt her eyes begin to water as she closed her phone. She looked away for a moment as her eyes became fixed on the tiles of the floor.

"Please come home, dad." She whispered.

A few minutes went by before she remembered what she had taken from Jason's house. She reached into the right pocket of her jeans as she pulled out an object she knew was of importance to Tommy. Her mind drifted back to a memory she hadn't thought about in quite some time.

"_I want you to have this, Jase." Tommy told him sincerely as he extended his Dino Gem to him. _

_Jason took the stone, observing it for a few seconds with an intrigued look, "Why, bro?" _

_Jamie stood in the hallway watching the two men converse in the kitchen. She had been living with Tommy for a month at that point and had just met Jason a week before_. _She could see Jason was sitting at the counter drinking a beer as Tommy stood on the other side with his arms crossed. _

"_Because I never would have made it this far if it weren't for you." Tommy began, "If you had given up on me in the beginning I never would have gone on to accomplish what I have." _

"_Tommy… you have overcome everything and I really mean just about everything on your own."_

"_But you guided me… you were the leader first, Jase. I owe you so much, my life even." Tommy paused as he looked down at the counter for a minute before looking back up at him, "You really are like a brother to me." Jason looked at him with his head titled to the side a bit, his own arms crossed at this point. He wondered why Tommy had brought all of this up; it wasn't often that he expressed his feelings in such a way. "This isn't just about your gem, is it?" Jason asked in a slightly accusing tone. _

"_No… It isn't." Tommy replied with a small grin. He had known Jason would see right through him; he had always been able to._

"_Just tell me, bro..." Jason insisted, "Where is this all coming from?" _

_Jamie was still eavesdropping when she heard Tommy ask Jason to be her Godfather. _

_Jason was a little taken aback as Tommy assumed he would be, "You're my best friend, Jase. If anything were to happen to me you're the only one I can see taking care of her. It would mean so-" _

"_Of course I will." Jason interrupted, "Tommy, I'm honored."_

_He smiled as Jason stood to give him a hug. He too had a smile on his face. He patted Tommy on the back a couple of times before letting go._

_"Thanks, bro." Tommy told him. _

"_Don't mention it." Jason replied as he sat back down, "I'm just really happy you found such an amazing little girl." _

"_I am too, Jase. I feel like it was meant to be, you know? I love her so much already." _

Jamie opened her eyes, wiping away the few tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. She had been distracted by the voice of someone just outside the control room she was in. She took her hood off as she neared the door, listening intently to what sounded like a woman on the other side. After a few minutes of standing there trying to listen, she established it was Hayley by the pitch of the woman's voice. And although Jamie couldn't understand what she was saying, she could tell Hayley was upset. She went back to a swivel chair and sat down. She decided not to think about what she had just heard as she turned her music back on. Jamie didn't want to jump to conclusions. Not at this point. She just wanted to hold onto what little hope she had left.

But what Hayley had just learned would be heart-breaking news for many, especially Jamie. She decided she would stay and sit in the solitude of the control room for a while, hoping no one would come bother her. But unbeknownst to her, the terrible news she'd receive within the hour would devastate her.

* * *

Upon entry, Kimberly and Jason gained the attention of many in the audience. Luckily they had entered while Leo had on a video presentation, the lighting of the room helping them to not make such a scene.

"It's about time!" Zack said in the loudest whisper he could manage. He, Tanya and Kat all stood to allow the two to get through to their seats.

"It's good to see ya, man!" Jason responded as he gave Zack a quick hug.

Kat looked over at them as they took their seats, "I'm happy to see you both could make it." Jason sat down next to her. Upon hearing that he looked over at her and smiled, "I'm happy to see you made it too, Kat." Kim was turned around saying hello to Billy, Rocky and Adam at this point and missed the exchange. Kat looked at him for a moment, noticing the bags under his eyes right away. She hoped she would get some time to talk to him later on in the evening. He didn't look well and that was a little unsettling to her.

Hayley had watched the two come in as she sat in the back with the Dino team.

She had begun to pay attention to the screen that was showing past victories for the various teams but was soon interrupted.

"You're not even the least bit worried right now, Hayley?"

"Of course I am, Connor." She replied; her eyes still on the screen, "I'm just trying not to think about it." Hayley had learned by now who was responsible for Tommy's disappearance. Billy had pried T.J. for answers after Jason and Kim had made him aware of the situation. Connor and Ethan both had wanted to morph on the spot when they found out Mesogog was back. But Hayley had talked them down. They would have to go about destroying Mesogog in a completely different way this time around.

"Where's Jamie?" Kira asked as she looked around.

Hayley looked over at her before surveying the room herself, "That's a good question… Jason wanted her to sit with us. "

"I can go look for her if you want."

"No, Trent… that's alright." Hayley replied, as she got up from her seat.

"I'll be right back." She said as she walked past them and out one of the back doors in the auditorium.

Hayley walked down the hall toward Jason's room hoping she would find Jamie in there but had no luck after looking inside. She continued to walk through the Megaship, checking the kitchen and simulation room with the same results. She finally decided to look in the main deck of the ship. But as she neared the entrance her phone began to vibrate from within her jacket pocket. When she saw who was calling her she immediately answered.

"Anton?"

"Hayley! Thank God I've gotten a hold of you. I have been trying to reach Tommy for over a week now, I…"

"You don't know?" Hayley cut in.

"Don't know about what? Listen… Hayley it's very important I speak with Tommy, do you know where he is?"

"He's been missing for about a week now, Anton."

"What?" He began in total shock, "Missing? Do you know what happened to him?"

"It's him again... Mesogog is alive and he has brought back five enemies from the past. I haven't seen the video, but Jason said there have been multiple broadcasts of the six fighting Tommy."

"This is terrible." Anton began, "I mean this is just… truly terrible. I don't even want to say this now."

He was quiet for a moment, which prompted Hayley to speak up again, "What don't you want to say?"

He let out a deep breath before continuing, "Please brace yourself for what I am about to divulge to you, Hayley. It won't be good news."

She was very nervous at this point as she quickly paced back and forth in front of the control room door.

"I had been trying to tell Tommy about a stone that had been stolen recently."

"A stone?"

"Yes… It's called the Dolmen Stone and it was stolen from my Dinosaur exhibit. Tommy and I were the only ones who knew about it, or at least I thought until you told me that Mesogog had returned."

Hayley thought about his words for a moment before responding, "So what does this stone even do? Do you really think Mesogog took it?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that it was him. Despite how well Tommy and I hid the stone, I shared my body with Mesogog for years. I'm not surprised he was able to find it."

"But why would he want this stone?"

"For the same reason he wanted Tommy." Anton replied, "That stone is one of the most powerful stones still in existence. Mesogog has power over the spirit world, it's almost like he can control life and death." He paused as he took in a deep breath, "Hayley, he could live forever with that stone in his possession."

"What?" Hayley shouted, "How is that even possible, Anton? We have to be able to defeat him."

As Anton told her what Tommy's part was in all of this, her jaw dropped as her now trembling hand came up to cover her mouth.

"I'll keep you in informed." She told him softly as she closed her phone. Hayley stood in the hall for a couple of minutes in absolute shock before she looked down at her phone. Her wallpaper was a photo of her and Billy together the last time he'd been in Angel Grove. That's all it took as she looked up from her phone once more and began to head back to the reunion.

She had to tell someone about what she had just learned.

* * *

"I think it's time for another break, guys. Not everyone got to have dinner before we started." Leo announced, "We have a lot to choose from around the room, all courtesy of the Space Rangers. So dig in and enjoy yourselves, we will have a live performance in about fifteen minutes from one of our own. Thank you." There was applause as Leo walked down from the stage.

Everyone got up and began to form lines at the buffet tables all around the auditorium. Zack, Jason, Kimberly and Billy all stood in one line followed by Tanya, Kat, Adam and Rocky.

"You're lookin' good these days, man. You still working at the Dojo?" Zack asked Jason as he scooped some potato salad onto his plate.

"Off and on. I try to teach as often as I can but I've been pretty busy in the past few months. Are you and Angela still together?"

"Oh, she's old news… she left me for a costume designer at the last show I did."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Zack." Jason had really rooted for that relationship.

"It's all good… people change, you know?" Jason nodded as Zack took a bite of his food.

"So you're still dancing then?" Kim piped up, "I've seen you on TV a few times."

"Oh yeah…" Zack replied with a smile as he did a spin, "I'd never give up dancing, Kim."

"Did either of you ever get married? Kids?" Adam asked from behind Kim. Everyone had gotten a chance by then to catch up but Jason and Kimberly were still a mystery. He gained Kat's attention as he asked, causing her to look over at Jason for an answer.

"Nah, not me." Jason responded as he scooped some fruit into his bowl, "I don't ever really see myself getting married."

"I do." Kim added, "You're more than qualified to be a fantastic husband and father." Everyone around them smiled but Kim's grin diminished almost instantaneously after she saw Jason's reaction. His smile was so forced that it hurt her to see it. She realized then what she had just said.

"Yeah, Jase… Kim's right. Maybe you'll even hit it off with someone here if you're lucky." Zack said as he looked over at Tanya.

"Looks like you want to be the lucky one." Jason told him with a small grin.

"You know it." Zack replied happily as he patted Jason on the back. "It's great seeing you both again. We'll talk more later."

They watched him walk back over to his table before Kim looked back up at Jason. "I'm sorry, Jason… I didn't mean to-"

"I know, Kim. I know… Just forget about it." He really didn't want to think about the possibility of becoming a father right now.

After watching Jason for a few minutes, Kat decided to walk over to him for a chat. She waited until she saw Kim leave to make her move.

"Jason."

"Hey, Kat." Jason replied as he turned around, "How's it goin'?"

"Pretty good, I'd say. I thought I'd come over for a chat. It's been years since I last saw you… How have you been?"

"Good." He responded as he got out of Kendrix's way. The Galaxy team had just gotten in line for food.

"It's good to see you could make it, Jason." Leo interrupted, extending his hand to him.

"Thanks… you too, man." Jason told him as he returned the gesture. The two of them watched Leo walk away before continuing their conversation.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Kat asked him as he redirected his attention down at his fruit bowl.

"Yeah…" He admitted, "I don't really have much of an appetite."

Adam's voice caught his attention as Connor, Ethan, Kira and Trent made their way through the line, "Hey, aren't you guys the Dino team?"

"Yeah… it's Adam, isn't it?" Kira asked him as the others turned to face him.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Dr. O has told us about practically everyone here." Connor replied.

"Tommy is Dr. O." Ethan added, seeing Adam's confused look.

"Ah…" He began, "Yeah, I heard he had mentored you guys."

"He mentored and was one of us." Trent chimed in.

Adam looked surprised for a minute, "Really? That's awesome… If I had had the chance, I would have loved to become a ranger again." He stopped speaking long enough to take a sip of his iced tea, "Do you guys know if he's coming to this?"

Jason looked over at them for the answer. He had been eavesdropping as Katherine continued to try and have a conversation with him.

"We aren't sure. Hopefully he makes it though." Trent replied just as Hayley caught his eye. She had just come into the auditorium in a hurry. She looked distressed as she made her way over to Billy.

"Jason?" Katherine asked for the third time. Jason had seen Hayley come in as well and was still looking over at her. He looked back at Kat, "I'm sorry…" He started to say. He figured he was being extra observant due to the current situation.

"Is something wrong?" She inquired quickly, "You look really worn-out."

"I'm fine, really I am." He insisted before turning to look at Hayley again. Her and Billy were heading for the doors.

"Kat!" Tanya shouted from their table, "Hurry up, the show is about to start!"

She looked over at Tanya before meeting Jason's eyes again, "Let me know if you need anything, Jason. I mean it."

"Thanks, Kat." It was all he felt he could reply with. Out of everyone he had spoken to, she had been the only one to sense how he was truly feeling. He glanced over at the door once more before looking back at her. 'That conversation could have gone a lot better.' He thought to himself.

_**MEANWHILE…**_

"Hayley, what's going on?" Billy asked as she pulled him into the hallway.

"I just…I got a phone call…" She was very worked up by this point.

"Hey, calm down…" He soothed her as he placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her, "What's wrong?"

"Anton called me… you remember him, right?" Billy nodded before she continued, "He told me there was a stone taken from his museum over a week ago."

"What kind of stone?" Billy asked, his curiosity peaking.

"I'm pretty sure he called it the Dolmen Stone."

Billy's face went white as his mouth fell open slightly, "I learned about that stone while I was on Aquitar. Hayley, that stone holds a tremendous amount of power." He paused momentarily, "You don't think Mesogog stole it, do you?"

She shook her head sadly, "I do…"

Billy looked at her sympathetically; he knew what she was thinking. As she bit her lip to keep from crying he pulled her into a hug.

"He's not going to make it this time, Billy…" She told him softly.

Tommy wouldn't be given the chance to fight for his life; his fate was set in stone. The thought of that was almost too much to bear for Billy as he considered how their friends would react.

Hayley began to pull away, wiping her eyes gently so she wouldn't smear her makeup. They could hear Leo back on the stage announcing the next performance.

"Let's go back in there." Billy told her, "There's nothing we can do right now to make this any better."

Hayley nodded dismally as the two walked back inside the auditorium. The lights had been dimmed once again to allow spotlight for the performer up on stage. Billy recognized who the young musician was as he sat down.

A big applause erupted as Justin Stewart took a seat on the stage. He sat on a stool with his guitar in his hands. He wore a brown blazer and dark colored jeans with his hair completely slicked back. It was hard to believe they were looking at the youngest Blue Ranger there ever was. "It's so great to be here tonight with you guys. I've been looking forward to this reunion for weeks and it's such an honor for me to be able to share my music with you all. Before I play, I'd like to dedicate this song to the Turbo team. You guys were my friends when no one else would be. Some of the fondest memories I have are with you all and I want you to know I'll always consider you family. I hope you like this."

More applause followed as he began to sing. Everyone listened to Justin's song completely unaware that the reunion was about to be cut short.

"He's really good." Tanya told Kat as they both continued to watch.

"Who knew he was so talented." Rocky added two minutes into the song. They were all feeling touched by Justin's performance. The song he was performing had been written just for them.

"It's a shame Tommy is missing this." Adam said as Kat nodded her head in agreement.

"I was hoping he would be able to make it." She replied in a disappointed tone.

As Justin finished, he received a standing ovation. He had a huge smile on his face as he said 'thank you' and walked down from the stage.

Leo could be seen again as he clapped at his podium, "Let's hear it again for Justin!" The applause continued to come as Justin took his seat with the rest of the Turbo Rangers.

"Okay guys, before we go on to our next segment I'd like to-"

Leo then stopped speaking as something across the stage had caught his attention. There was silence in the room as his mouth fell open and his eyes narrowed.

"What's going on?" Kai asked out loud.

"I don't know." Damon replied with concern.

"Hello again, Leo…"

He stood on the left side of the stage in shock at the being that had just emerged from the right, "...Trakeena?" He was in awe at how inconspicuous her entrance into their celebration had been.

"You don't look too happy to see me Red Ranger."

"That's because I'm not…"

His response hung in the air for a moment. The audience was as shocked as he was, "Let's see if we can settle this today, shall we?" She ran across the stage at full speed toward Leo. As he blocked her first attack the audience felt a powerful beam come across them, its vibrant green color engulfing the room.

"What was that?" Ethan yelled.

"I can't move!" Connor shouted just after him.

Numerous cries came from the audience after everyone realized they couldn't move from the position they had last been in. They all just kept looking over at one another shock. Even the members of the Space team that had been on lookout around the auditorium became frozen in their standing form. Jason really fought it as his anger began to rise; he couldn't move anything from his shoulders down.

The time had finally come; the enemy was there and none of them would be able to stop what was about to happen.

Trakeena and Leo continued to fight; Leo just a step ahead of her for the majority of the battle. She finally gained the upper hand, kicking him so hard in the chest that he fell off of the stage. It was a powerful attack, one that knocked him unconscious as he landed on his back. Trakeena jumped down and looked at him with a smile. The Galaxy team could be heard the most; shouts of all sorts being thrown at her. "You'll pay for this!" Mike yelled. She laughed as she looked over at them and back down at Leo.

"Trakeena…" She turned around to see Mesogog had appeared on the stage, "Leave him for now."

She did as she was told, jumping back onto the stage to stand behind him.

Kira felt like she was going to be sick upon seeing Mesogog again, "I can't believe this is happening."

Connor looked at her before looking back up at Mesogog, "Don't worry, Kira… we'll take him down again." She found a little peace upon hearing the confidence in Connor's tone but she knew it wouldn't be easy to defeat him again, "I hope you're right."

"Before I move on I'd like to re-introduce you to some of my friends." Mesogog said as he stood at the podium now.

It was then that Prince Gasket emerged from the right side of the stage, soon followed by Divatox, Rita and Lord Zedd.

Divatox scowled at the lack of response, "And here I thought you all would be happy to see me."

"No way…" Rocky said upon seeing them come out. Adam sat next to him shaking his head in disbelief. Everyone's reaction was pretty much the same, shocked yet angry to see the villains they had believed to be defeated so long ago.

Mesogog was somewhat surprised by the reaction in the room as well, "You're all so quiet…" He began, "Was the surprise not big enough for you?"

At his final words, Tyrannodrones walked out from both sides of the stage. The ones on the left were dragging what looked to be a prisoner of theirs.

Jason looked over at Kimberly who had started to breathe heavily. She couldn't look up at the stage any further. Her behavior didn't go unnoticed though as many of the others glanced over at her before looking back up at the events unraveling before them.

"Many of you already know who our special guest is… But for those of you who don't… Allow me to show you."

Mesogog walked over to the prisoner, gripping the head covering as he began to pull it off.

No one in the room would ever forget what happened next.

(To Be Continued)

**AN**: The stone and the extent of its power will be explained in the next two chapters, so stay tuned... I'm finally getting to the good stuff and I couldn't be happier!


	11. The Reunion Pt 3

**AN: **I hate to have to tell you this in the beginning but I must warn you that there will be a character death in this chapter. This is the chapter that will be bring all of the cards onto the table. I'm stoked to have made it this far with this story and I again thank all of you for sticking around as long as you have.

Special shout-outs to Ghostwriter, Andyg2525, Brankel1, Ditena, and oldtvlover. You guys make my day when I read your kind words. You've all been supporters of my story for quite some time and I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. As for the guest(s) that recently reviewed, I'd like to give you the credit for this chapter coming out so soon. What you said pushed me to write and get this up as soon as I could. I do hope you enjoy. :-)

**Chapter 11- The Reunion Part 3**

It was an exceptionally bright day, or at least it seemed to be to the young girl looking up at the sky. She sat in a chair under the only window in her bedroom. Her deep green eyes wandered with the clouds above her as she listened to cheers from the other children playing kickball outside. She wasn't happy about what the day had in store for her, mostly because of the immense disappointment that would come with days like this one. She turned her head as the bedroom door opened.

"Jamie?" It was Nina, the head social worker at the children's home, "You know it's about to start right?"

"I don't want to go." She responded as she walked over to the door. She hated these Meet-and-Greet sessions. Despite how hard she had tried with potential parents in the previous sessions, she would always feel that her past was to blame when it came to actually getting adopted, "Can't I just skip this one?"

The tall, slender woman of American and Korean descent smiled, "You can't stay here forever, Jamie. For all you know, this could be the day someone sees just how special you are."

"No one will ever want me, Nina."

She bent down to Jamie's height, "What makes you think that?"

Jamie looked down at the tiles on the floor of the hallway, "Because of what happened."

Nina looked at her sympathetically. She felt terrible for what Jamie had been through so early into her life. "Jamie…" She began as Jamie looked over at her, "I have had the great pleasure of getting to know you these past few months. You are such a smart girl… so beautiful and compassionate and you have a great sense of humor if I may add." She smiled at that as Nina paused for a moment, "…Someone _will_ walk through those doors and see what I see in you, regardless of your background. But you have to want that too. How are you going to have a chance at adoption from inside this room?"

Jamie looked behind her at the ten bunk beds in the room before turning back to Nina, "I guess I'll go."

"Now that's what I like to hear." Nina happily replied before proceeding out of the room, Jamie just behind her. They walked down the hallway and into the playroom. Jamie immediately scanned for a spot to retreat to. She grinned up at Nina before walking over to join the other children.

Jamie walked to her cubby first and pulled out an old pair of plastic dinosaurs. She looked back at the door as Nina was warmly greeting the strangers coming into the room. She walked over and sat in the back of the room on a forest themed rug. Jamie didn't play with the other kids most of the time. She didn't connect with them and at this point she didn't want to. She spent a lot of time alone, reading mostly. She loved superheroes and had read a surprising amount of comics for an 8-year-old.

She looked up again at the strangers who had just come in. There were three young couples and an older woman walking around the room. The woman was walking toward her, a smile coming onto her face. But it quickly diminished as the woman bent down to speak to a 4-year-old boy sitting not too far from her. She looked back down at the floor as she started to play with her dinosaurs again. Nina was walking around the room, checking in on everyone before she heard another knock at the door. As she opened it, a man in his early 30's walked in. "Ah! I knew we were expecting one more." She said as she extended her hand to him.

"I'm so sorry…" He began as he shook her hand, "I really didn't mean to be late."

"Oh, no… it's okay. You're Dr. Oliver, right?" She asked as she looked up from her clipboard.

"Yes, but please… just call me Tommy."

She smiled, "Alright, Tommy… I'm glad you could make it. We have about twenty minutes left of this session so feel free to speak with any of the children."

"Sounds great… thank you." He looked around the room before taking his glasses off and placing them inside his jacket pocket. He felt nervous which was an emotion he rarely encountered. He knew that today could be a day he would never forget. He walked past a group of kids playing hacky sack before seeing a couple speaking to twin girls. As he walked past them he smiled as the twins kept answering questions in unison. 'They're adorable.' He thought to himself but quickly shot away the idea of having two kids at this point. He continued to walk around with his hands in his pockets, his grin never leaving his face. He smiled and gave a slight head nod to a couple as they walked past him. He looked back at them before turning around and stopping dead in his tracks. His eyes had landed on a young girl sitting in the back of the room. She was playing with a couple of dinosaurs, looking up and around the room occasionally with an uncertain expression.

"Hi there." Jamie looked up again, surprised to see the man before her. She didn't remember seeing him come into the room. She stood, leaving her dinosaurs on the floor. "Hi." Was all she said as she crossed one foot over the other and put her hands behind her back.

"My name is Tommy, what's your name?"

"Jamie." She responded as she reached out to shake his hand.

Tommy was pleasantly surprised by how well mannered she was, "So I see you like dinosaurs." Jamie smiled and nodded before sitting back down, "May I join you?"

She happily nodded her head again as Tommy sat down across from her, "I like Dinosaurs too. I study them for my job."

Jamie looked up at him with excitement, "You're a paleontologist?" He smiled as he gave her a questioning look, "Yes… I am." He started, "Just how old are you?"

"Eight and a half."

He shook his head in amazement, "You're pretty smart for your age."

"That's what Nina tells me." She replied as she played with her dinosaurs, "Here… you can be Cindy and I get to be Albert." She passed the triceratops to him as she held onto the T-Rex. Tommy laughed as he took the toy from her. He was falling in love with this little girl. She was different and Tommy could see that. They played for a few minutes before she noticed Tommy's wrist.

"What happened?" She asked without looking at him.

"What do you mean?"

"To your hand?" She replied, pointing to the scar he had from the middle of his right hand down his wrist. He looked at it, instantly remembering how he had gotten the injury. His mind wandered back to that moment, when Zeltrax's son, Goldenrod had used his own brachio staff against him during a fight.

"Oh, this scar… yeah, I practice karate pretty often and sometimes I'll use a staff or a sword. I've had a few accidents along the way." He finished, as he rubbed his wrist.

"You know karate?" She was starting to like Tommy more and more.

"Yes, very much so. I could teach you if you want."

"That would be so cool!" Jamie said excitedly. Tommy smiled before turning to see Nina not too far from them.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

Jamie nodded, still looking at the floor before watching him walk over to Nina. She had never felt so hopeful in her life as she grabbed Albert and continued to play.

"Hey, Nina?" She turned around as he spoke once more, "May I speak to you for a minute?"

"Of course!" She replied as the two walked back over toward the door.

"I saw you over there with Jamie… she's wonderful, isn't she?"

"She really is… I was actually hoping you could tell me a little more about her."

"Yes, definitely…" Nina began as she looked across the room at Jamie, "She's been here for about seven months now. She has a great personality, really unique from most her age. She reads every chance she gets and has a fascination for superheroes she'll discuss with anyone willing to listen." Nina laughed before continuing, "I'm sure you know who the Power Rangers are, right?"

Tommy was totally taken aback by her question and didn't answer immediately, "Um… yeah, of course."

"Well Jamie loves them." She replied, "She has watched so many documentaries and news reports. They're real superheroes and I think that fascinates her."

"Really now?" Tommy asked both intrigued and amused, "How did she end up here?"

Nina's smile faded as she sighed, "It's a sad story to be honest with you."

Tommy crossed his arms, listening to her intently, "She is an only child. Her father is currently in prison and her mother died two years ago." His mouth fell open slightly as she continued, "He abused a number of drugs and was always under the influence. Her mother tried everything she could to get him help but he was too far gone. She filed for divorce and tried to take custody of Jamie, a move that set that man over the edge." She paused before continuing, not wanting to finish the story, "The night she tried to leave with Jamie, he pulled a gun on her." Tommy kept his arms crossed, raising his right hand to his mouth. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Jamie witnessed him murder her mother before he turned the gun on her. She managed to get out of the house before he could get to her, running as far as she could… The police weren't able to locate her until almost five days after it all happened."

Tommy shook his head, "That's terrible…" He quietly replied. He couldn't believe someone so young had endured all of that.

The two adults looked over at her again, before Nina sighed, "I just want her to have a good life. She really deserves it."

Tommy felt a wave of nerves come over him upon realizing what he wanted to say, "...I want to be the one to give her that."

Nina smiled, "That's so wonderful to hear, Tommy. She'll be thrilled."

He smiled back at her, "When can I take her home?"

"Well… let me finish up with everyone here and I'll begin the paper work. Since you've already passed the home inspection, the rest of the process should go smoothly."

"Great, thanks a lot." He told her before she announced to everyone that the session was about to end. He watched her walk over to the couple he had seen earlier. They were going to adopt the twin girls.

Tommy walked back over to Jamie and bent down in front of her, "Hi again." He said as Jamie looked up at him, "Leaving?" She asked before looking back down. Tommy could see she was disappointed.

"Actually, no…" He began, "Not without you."

Jamie looked back up at him immediately. Her mouth fell open in shock, "You really mean it?"

He laughed, "Yes… but only if you want that. I would love to adopt you, Jamie."

She got up immediately, wrapping her arms around him as he fell over. He laughed as she held onto him tightly. "So I take it you're happy with this arrangement, Jamie?" Nina said walking up to them. Jamie let go of Tommy only to run over to hug her.

She let go of Nina and looked back over at Tommy who was still sitting on the floor with his arms holding him up. "I'm going to go get some paperwork from my office, and then I'll be back to make this official." Tommy nodded as Nina walked away. Upon looking back at Jamie, he couldn't help but smile. Seeing how incredibly elated she was made him feel emotions he never thought he had. After everything he had been through in his life, everything he had done… this day would be one he would never forget. He had fulfilled his biggest dream; he had become a father.

Jamie watched as he stood back up, straightening up his jacket before looking back at her, "Hey… what's wrong?" He asked as he placed his left hand on her shoulder.

As she looked up at him a couple of tears fell onto her cheek, "Thank you…" She told him softly. The realization that she was finally leaving the home was almost too much for her.

He bent back down and pulled her into a hug, "I should be thanking you… you've just made me the happiest I've ever been in my life."

She lifted her head and pulled away, the two looking at each other for a moment with smiles on their faces.

Neither of them would ever forget that moment.

**NEW SCENE**

Jamie sat at one of the consoles on the main deck with her head down. She had been in there for almost two hours listening to her music while trying to sleep. She sat up in her chair before looking back down at her phone. She was on her seventeenth round of solitaire. Jamie let out an exasperated sigh, 'I'm so sick of this stupid card game.' She placed her phone back in her jean pocket before getting up. As she walked over to the other side of the room she stopped instantly as she felt the ship start to shake. She grabbed onto a rail nearby to steady herself but the shaking stopped as quickly as it began. As she took her ear buds out and let them dangle out from the neck of her hoodie she cautiously opened the door and walked into the hall. She stood still as she continued to listen. She closed her eyes, hoping the worst had not come. It was then that she heard the shouts coming from the auditorium. Her stomach was in knots by now as she opened her eyes and let out a quick breath.

Jamie took off down the hall, running as fast as she could. She was afraid of what she was about to see but knew she couldn't let it get the best of her. As she neared the auditorium, she could hear the voice of Mesogog again, "Many of you already know who our special guest is… But for those of you who don't… Allow me to show you."

Jamie was about to open the door to go inside but stopped herself. She looked to her right, the back stage entrance just a few feet away. As she quietly shut the door behind her she covered her mouth as she let out a gasp; Zhane was laying on the floor unconscious. She took a few steps toward him but her attention was redirected immediately to the shouting coming from the audience again. She looked to her right, slowly walking over to the stage. There were stairs that led up to it with curtains in front of her. She could see the backs of everyone up there and part of the audience at this point.

"You'll regret this, Mesogog!" Connor yelled angrily. His emotion was stemming from seeing his mentor on stage, "You're going down for good this time!"

"Same goes for the rest of you!" Rocky shouted right after him.

Kat was just as upset as she looked over at him before glancing at Tanya. She looked distraught; the same could be said for almost everyone else as they all continued to watch the spectacle before them.

Jamie couldn't see if Tommy was up there at this point. There were too many beings on the stage. She crouched down and ran around the back of the stage.

She had never felt so nervous in her life.

As she neared the other side she slowly walked up to the edge of the stage again; the top of her head and eyes were all that could be seen.

And then she saw him.

Tommy was center-stage with his knees on the floor and his hands tied behind his back. His head hung low as his back arched over. He was extremely pale. Dry blood still clung to the side of his face and neck.

Jamie turned around and let her back fall against the stage. It was extremely difficult for her to see her dad like this. As she landed on the floor she covered her mouth with her sleeves and closed her eyes. She focused on controlling her breathing, as it was very rapid at this point. Her eyes began to water but she quickly wiped them.

This was really happening.

She placed her hand over her pocket making sure the item within it was still there. She began to get up again, forcing herself to watch the events unraveling on the stage.

Mesogog walked up to stand next to Tommy, his eyes on the former Black Dino Ranger, "I guesssss… I'll just have to share my secret now."

The room fell silent as Mesogog looked back up at the audience, "You will not be able to defeat me, Rangers… not this time…" He bent down as he picked up Tommy's face from under his chin, "Would _you_ like to tell them why I cannot be defeated?"

Kimberly watched the scene with a look of despair before turning to look at Jason for a moment. His face was unbelievingly red as he continued to become more and more irate. She looked back at Tommy just in time to see him open his eyes slightly. He never looked at the audience; his eyes were directly on Mesogog. He shook his head as best as he could before spitting into Mesogog's left eye, the action causing the reptilian creature of evil to push Tommy's head away in a violent manner. He let out a deep, irritated grunt as he stood. Tommy's head hung low again as a tired grin came onto his face.

Many of Tommy's friends smiled somewhat at the act of retaliation but it worried both Jason and Hayley to see Tommy behaving this way. They watched as Mesogog walked toward the left of the stage, standing only a few feet in front of Lord Zedd.

He turned his back to the rest of the villains, "Since Doctor Oliver won't tell you, I guess I'll just have to show you…"

Tommy turned his head as he looked over to his right. He was able to see then what was about to happen. He faced forward again, closing his eyes as he braced himself for the hit. Everyone watched in astonishment as Lord Zedd attacked Mesogog, his staff slashing the creature's back. But what really took them by surprise was Tommy's reaction. As the staff hit Mesogog, Tommy grimaced, immediately yelling out in pain. The attack had caused him to fall to the floor, landing on his injured arm. His back felt like it was on fire but Tommy showed no signs of reaction to the pain. He was still at this point with the fresh wound on his back in plain sight for everyone in the audience to see.

Jason was stunned as was everyone else in the room. He had never seen anything like this in his life. Mesogog stood, shaking off the hit as if it had been nothing. He walked back toward the front of the stage, stepping over Tommy on the way.

Jamie had ducked down to avoid being seen by Mesogog. She stood and began to watch again upon hearing her Godfather's voice.

"What did you do?" Jason yelled angrily. His voice startled many, their eyes briefly on him before looking back at the stage.

"Oooooh, I just knew you all would love this part." Divatox laughed.

"I say, this is far better than anything I ever witnessed back in the day." Prince Gasket admitted.

"We are going to destroy every living thing on this planet…" Mesogog began, "None of you will stand in my way as I begin the new world. The human species will be terminated..." He would have said more but was interrupted by the Rangers' rebuttals.

"You're out of your mind!" Maya shouted.

"Yeah! You're crazy if you think you'll be able to get through us first!" Carlos shouted from the back of the auditorium.

"Jason… look." Kimberly suddenly said causing him to look away from Mesogog and back at Tommy.

He was trying to get up. Lord Zedd's blade had cut through the rope that had been around his hands.

Rita Repulsa's signature squeal echoed throughout the room, "You've always been so stubborn, Tommy! When will you learn?"

He paid no attention to her as he slowly managed to stand. He was teetering back and forth as he held onto his injured arm. He was furious and everyone could see it.

"You're resistance… is admirable, Doctor Oliver." Mesogog added taking a few steps toward him.

Tommy glanced over at him, the fierce look on his face mirroring his darkest expressions from his time as the evil Green Ranger. It was then that he did something no one expected. He ran toward Lord Zedd, effortlessly kicking the staff out of his hands. He picked it up, running back toward Mesogog as the other villains began to retaliate. But they all ceased action upon seeing Tommy point the staff in Mesogog's direction.

His breathing was still heavy as he held the staff up. He tried not to think about the excruciating pain he was feeling in his arm and back.

"I am surprised, Tommy... I would have never expected this from you."

"I'm going to kill you for this." Tommy warned through gritted teeth as he took a step further toward Mesogog.

"That would be rather unwise of you…"

"Tommy, don't do it!" Jason begged, "We'll find a way out of this!"

Tommy quietly sighed, "There is no other way." He replied sadly.

"You're sure?" Mesogog began again, "If there isssss…. You would be denying yourself the time to figure it out..."

But Tommy knew it already, the stone could be destroyed but not his connection to Mesogog through it, "If I have to go out like this… you're coming with me!"

But before Tommy could make his move his eye caught Rita advancing toward him. He backed away, blocking her staff with his own. He pushed her away before throwing Zedd's staff off to the side, the action leaving the audience completely baffled. Rita stopped, her staff now steadily pointed at his chest. Tommy stood in front of her totally defenseless now. He had a look of hopelessness as he held his injured arm once more.

"Why did he just do that?" Adam yelled.

"There's something we don't know." Billy stated calmly, though his face portrayed a great deal of worry.

Rita raised her staff but never got the chance to attack as Mesogog used his psionic energy to knock the staff out of her hands. He then directed the energy back at Tommy, watching as he fell to the floor. Tommy let out long, painful cries as he held his head and tried to keep still.

Many of his friends and former teammates yelled for Mesogog to stop while others shouted words of hope for Tommy, asking him to just hold on.

Mesogog stopped then, his claw still pointing at Tommy. He dropped it slowly and walked over to Rita, "Don't try it again." He threatened her. The usually loud being picked up her staff and said nothing as she gave him a look of disgust before walking back over to the group.

Tommy was still with his back once again facing the audience. Jason was doing everything in his power to break free of Mesogog's hold on him. His yells drew a lot of attention as many in the audience had become speechless. The silence in the room was almost eerie at this point.

As if it couldn't get any worse, Jason immediately stopped what he was doing as he watched Jamie run onto the stage. It felt like he had stopped breathing seeing her go over to Tommy. Everyone was watching in awe, the majority not even knowing who the young girl was.

She placed her hand on his face, "…Dad!" She yelled, on the verge of tears.

"Jamie… get out of there right now!" Jason pleaded, sounding extremely desperate. He couldn't allow anything to happen to Jamie; he had promised Tommy he would protect her no matter what.

Jamie looked up at him and shook her head. She looked over at Mesogog who had stopped what he was saying to observe her actions.

She looked back at Tommy, nervously reaching into her pocket for his Dino Gem. She grabbed his hand as she held the stone, placing his fingers over it tightly. She hoped more than anything that something good would come from this. Jamie watched as the Gem began to glow before looking back at her dad. Tommy instantly took in a deep breath, partially opening his eyes. He looked at his hand, seeing where the boost of energy he'd just received had come from. He looked up at Jamie then, completely taken aback. He literally became terrified seeing she was there and in danger, "Jamie… You have to run. Run as far as you can from here!"

"I can't leave you, dad..." She cried, "...I won't."

"I'll be okay… just go… please Jamie, just go!" Tommy's voice cracked as he finished, the thought of anything happening to his daughter was tearing him apart. Mesogog had seen what she had just given him, advancing toward them as Tommy suddenly disappeared. Only some knew that Tommy had become invisible at this point. Hayley felt some slight relief seeing that the Gem had accepted him once again. Jamie began to run but was startled as Trakeena walked up the steps she was heading toward.

Jamie instantly had her hands up; ready to defend herself as she walked backward onto the stage. The audience watched as she blocked two of Trakeena's attacks. "Not bad, little one… not bad." Trakeena added before attempting to grab her. Jamie yelled as she felt someone pull her to the floor. Much to her surprise she looked up to see the Red Space Ranger standing in front of her. He turned his head quickly as he blocked another one of Trakeena's attacks. He pushed her as hard as he could, not wanting the fight to go on any further. He looked back down at Jamie, her fear still very much evident on her face.

"Get out of here." He ordered. Jamie nodded, getting up right away and running off the stage.

"Well look at who decided to try and save the day again." Mesogog told Andros as the two cautiously walked toward each other.

Andros stopped, now holding out his arm to Mesogog, "This time I really have." He replied before opening his hand.

Mesogog grunted angrily upon seeing what Andros had acquired.

There, sitting in the center of his left hand, was the Dolmen Stone.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm going to assume you already know what it means for me to have this in my possession."

"You've just started a war, Red Ranger." Mesogog stated forcefully.

"No…" Andros said as he shook his head, "You started this the moment you took one of our own!"

"Fair enough…" Mesogog replied, taking a few steps closer to Andros, "But you'll never find a way to change thisssss…. What's done is done." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Now… Give me the stone."

"D.E.C.A…" Andros called out, "Engage the force field." The enemies and the few Tyranodrones behind them suddenly became enclosed in a deep blue force field, seemingly unable of escape.

Lord Zedd laughed right away, "You Rangers are still so foolish… do you honestly think this will stop us?" The others all joined in on the laughter except for Mesogog who still had his glare fixed on Andros.

"No… I don't." Andros started again, "I know you can still escape… so how about you get the hell off of my ship?"

Ashley couldn't believe the anger Andros was displaying for them all; she had never seen him so upset.

"This is the just the beginning, Red Ranger. I commend you on your efforts today…" Mesogog told him slowly, "But next time… you won't be so lucky." In a vibrant flash of green color the group then disappeared. The force field fell as the spell put on everyone in the audience lifted. The moment Jason could feel himself move again he was on his feet. He ran past everyone, jumping onto the stage. He called out to both Tommy and Jamie as he frantically ran around to the back. Andros was about to follow Jason before he noticed Zhane laying on the floor not too far from him. He ran to him as Carlos and T.J. both ran over to where Leo was still laying. Carlos began checking his vitals right away.

"Tommy… Jamie!" Jason yelled once more. But he then heard Kim's voice from back out in the audience. "Jason! Over here…" She yelled as she looked down at Tommy. He had managed to make it to the back of the room, currently laying on the floor near one of the exits. Hayley was bent down next to him, holding the hand of his good arm. Tommy's oldest friends and former students had all gathered around him. They watched as Jason made his way over to them, joining Hayley as he too bent down next to his best friend. Jason immediately noticed Jamie was no where in sight, looking around at group of people before refocusing on Tommy.

"Tommy?" He asked hopeful as he placed his hand on Tommy's chest, "Wake up, man…" Jason looked like he was going to lose it. He kept looking at Tommy's eyes, hoping they would open at any second. Hayley slowly extended her hand onto Tommy's neck. Jason's free hand grasped Tommy's forearm as he looked at Hayley for an answer.

"Tell me he's alive, Hayley…"

But before she could answer everyone was startled by the shout of another.

"No!" Mike yelled in denial, "He's fine… he's just..." Kai and Damon grabbed Mike as they helped him to sit back down, "...That's my baby brother!" He yelled in absolute despair.

"Oh, Mike…" Maya soothed as tears began to fall on her cheeks. She pulled him into a hug so he wouldn't have to look at Leo any further. Carlos was still at Leo's side. He had sustained a massive cerebral hemorrhage caused by the fall. Carlos shook his head in frustration. Had he received medical treatment right away he may have had a chance at survival but Mesogog had taken that opportunity away.

"I'm so sorry for your loss…" Carlos said to the Galaxy Rangers. He placed his hand on Kendrix's shoulder before walking away. The former pink Galaxy Ranger was in tears.

Everyone was stunned as they watched the scene. Carlos walked through them as he headed over to Tommy with his medical supplies; anger and upset all over the black Space Ranger's face. T.J. followed closely behind reflecting a similar expression.

"I'm not… I can't feel… anything." Hayley said, still pressing her fingers to Tommy's neck, "Jason, I can't feel anything." Her upset wasn't making Jason feel any better, especially after hearing Leo hadn't made it. His head fell almost instantly as he closed his eyes. There was a great deal of pain in his expression; the entire ordeal bringing about emotions he hadn't felt in years.

He let out a quick breath as he looked back up at her with worry. It was then that Carlos dropped to his knees next to him, taking charge of the situation without hesitation.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kira asked calmly as she took a few steps closer to her former teammate and mentor.

Carlos reached for Tommy's hand, checking his pulse through his wrist as he simultaneously placed the end of his stethoscope on Tommy's chest. Many of them held one another, silently awaiting Carlos's answer.

"I'm not sure." He finally said, "There is a pulse but it's very faint. We need to get him to the Med Bay immediately."

"Can you help me get him up?" He asked T.J.

"Let me do it." Jason interrupted, "I'll follow you guys… just let me take him."

They both nodded, knowing Jason wouldn't take no for an answer. The group watched as the four exited the room; Tommy's limp form in Jason's arms.

Silence soon came over them again.

"There's something I don't understand…" Justin spoke up, "Why didn't he fight back when Rita attacked him?"

"Because he couldn't." Andros responded as he walked up to the group, unmorphed. Zhane followed behind him as he held his head with the back of his hand. He was still trying to recover from being knocked out.

The Rangers of the past redirected their attention at him as he continued to speak, "Those five are only here because they're feeding off of human life force. Had he fought back, he would have been hurting an innocent civilian." Just as he finished, Ashley could be seen running toward him, immediately wrapping her arms around him. He embraced her before the two looked back at the group.

The complexity of the situation was finally starting to come to light.

"We're in a Catch-22." Billy stated sadly. Hayley looked over at him as he said this, her expression matching everyone else's at this point.

They were all devastated knowing now that they couldn't defeat the five enemies of the past because they would be killing innocent people. But even more so, the group was distraught with the fact that they couldn't even touch Mesogog due to his connection to Tommy.

Many of them looked back over at the Galaxy team then, Kendrix's cries grabbing their attention once more. What had happened to Leo was unexpected and his death further showed the others just how dire this situation was.

Everything had changed in a matter of minutes and for a few of the Rangers, their lives had just changed forever.

What was next for them was entirely up in the air at this point but one thing was for certain… None of them were about to head home.

The reunion wouldn't continue on but the Power Rangers would… with or without their powers.

It wasn't over yet.


	12. No More Lies

**Chapter 12- No More Lies**

The rain kept falling. Every other minute she was wiping her face with her sleeves. Despite it being pitch-black out, she was actually managing to find her way through the forest. Jamie had run as fast as she could from the reunion and had never stopped running. She held out her arm, her mp3 player strongly grasped within her hand. What little light it provided helped her to see what was in front of her. Instead of the music she usually had playing in her ears, all she could hear was her heavy breathing.

She continued to run past the trees that stood hundreds of feet above her. Her thoughts were on replay, images of her father and mother flooding her mind. They both had sent her off this way and for the same reason too.

"_Listen to me, baby. Listen to mommy… I love you so much, you know that… But I need you to go now…. You need to run as fast as you can from here and never come back. Do you understand me, Jamie?"_

Jamie shook the thought as she finally came to a stop. She was completely out of breath as she held out her arm once more. She had come to what appeared to be a small hill leading downward. As she took a few steps she noticed a large formation of rocks not too far from her. Looking like a good spot to rest she headed over to them, her mp3 player dying in the balance.

"Damn it." She said aloud.

She felt around her clothes for her phone, pulling it out as she set the mp3 player into the front pocket of her hoodie. Her phone displayed slightly better light but she had been avoiding using it due to its low battery. She struggled to get over to the rocks; the walk down the steep hillside was difficult and even more so in her current state. As she reached them she bent over, her hands both on the nearest rock helping her to climb on top of it and onto another. She momentarily recalled climbing on the rocks at the jetty on Reefside beach when she was younger. Tommy would take her from time to time to surf, which was a hobby he had picked up much later in life and ended up loving.

Jamie continued to slowly climb from one rock to the next, the rain still pouring down on her. She shone her phone at the rock she wanted to reach, shining it back down to see her path to it. A minute went by as she crossed two more rocks, her final destination just a foot away. She had been blocking off her bad memories to avoid distraction, humming or singing loudly since her mp3 player had died. But it was then that she couldn't help but think of Tommy again.

"_Jamie… You have to run. Run as far as you can from here!"_

"_I can't leave you, dad… I won't!" _

"_I'll be okay… just go… please Jamie, just go!" _

In a split second her left foot slid from the rock she had wanted to reach, her body slipping with it. She yelled, dropping her phone down in between the rocks as she tried to hold onto anything to break her fall. Her left foot was now lodged between the rocks, her back against the side of the rock she had wanted to be sitting on at this point. Jamie clenched her teeth as she tried to pull her jammed foot free. She let out a number of whimpering cries as she considered the possibility that her ankle may be broken. She attempted to free her foot multiple times with no success, her failed efforts desolating every last shred of hope she had left in her. Her head fell back against the rock as she closed her eyes. As a tear fell onto her cheek she yelled out into the night, her infuriated shout echoing throughout the forest. Jamie's frustration with her current situation was only climbing at this point.

"I am _so_ stupid…" She said just above a whisper as she looked down between the rocks where her phone had fallen. No one would be able to reach her now and the photos that had been on her phone were irreplaceable.

Jamie would have to wait for someone to find her but at this point she didn't care if someone came to her rescue or not. She knew her father was more than likely dead. She would probably lose her Godfather at this rate too. Everyone in her life just came and went and she didn't have the energy or the will to go through it anymore.

She sobbed as she turned her head to the side, her hoodie protecting her face from the rain that had slowed to a drizzle. Unaware of just how far she had traveled, she would have to stay there for the duration of the night and into the next day. She had managed to run almost six miles from the Megaship.

She would be rescued, that much can be sure when Power Rangers are the ones searching for you. But this would be the first move of many that would change her life even more. Bigger things were ahead for Jamie Oliver. Things not her or even the Rangers could ever foresee happening.

She would end up wishing she had never been rescued.

* * *

"I don't understand…" Mesogog angrily said aloud, the rest of the enemies walking behind him, "How did he get it?" As the group reached the door that led into the room the stone had been in, Mesogog's anger only grew.

"It's intact…" Prince Gasket spoke as he looked at the door, "No signs of a break-in."

Mesogog pushed him to the side as he looked into the window, "Yet the stone… is not there." He walked past Gasket then, deciding to retreat to his lab where they had all been with Tommy before. Divatox looked over at Trakeena, the two deciding to follow him as Gasket began walking with them.

"You two aren't coming?" Divatox yelled behind her.

"We'll be right there." Rita replied with a scowl.

As Rita watched them leave the hall she turned back to Zedd, "What is it now?" He asked his wife.

"We need to do this soon, Zedd-"

"I already told you I wouldn't. I'm happy enough to just be alive at this point. Your actions are going to be the end of us, woman!"

"My actions will have us where we always wanted… With Mesogog gone, we will become the supreme leaders we always wanted to be. Can't you see that, you imbecile?"

"Now, now… my ill-mannered creature I call a wife… We both know what you really want. And that is certainly not to rule this world we both absolutely despise by now."

Realizing that Zedd was right, she became even more irritable than she'd already been, "And that would be?" Rita spat back at him.

"You and I both know he will be dead before either of us can do anything about it." Zedd began to reason.

"No-" She interrupted as she stepped closer to him, "He will die on _my_ terms… at _my_ hands. And you _will_ be the one to help me make that happen."

"And what will you do if I don't?" He asked almost playfully.

She looked like she was thinking about the question, her view on the floor before she looked back up at him with a smirk, "Bad things happen to husbands that upset their wives, Zeddy…" She began slowly, "My mind is clear, I am smarter… stronger than I have ever been. I wouldn't run against me on this one."

"You should have been more like this from the beginning," He told her as she started to walk away, "Your feistiness would have probably gotten us some bigger wins."

She smiled, stopping for a second in the hallway, "I'll give you some time to think about it..."

He said nothing as he watched her leave, waving her off like her words had meant nothing to him. A few minutes passed before Lord Zedd began the walk to meet the others. Things were getting complicated and for a being that had spent his entire existence going through one bad situation after the next, he was finally ready to just live.

Each of the six former enemies of the Power Rangers had a different agenda this time. Each wanted something more, something they didn't get to have in their previous life. But they all would fail to obtain the very thing they wanted and they would do so sooner than any of them could have anticipated.

Lord Zedd grunted as he stopped in the hall again, "You will _not_ control me, you fool." He said aloud as he held the sides of his head, "Whoever you are… I'll tell you this now… Your spirit will die and so will you!" He began to laugh, becoming angry again almost instantly.

"_You're not bad anymore… I can sense that within you. You have to stop this, Zedd… before anyone else gets hurt." _The human spirit within him was breaking through again_, "You must save yourself as well as your wife." _

"Save myself?" He asked the person, "Save myself from what exactly?"

"_If you allow Rita to get to Mesogog, he'll go after all of you. You'll be killed and your spirit won't remain. You have to release me and my friends before it is too late." The human continued, "With us alive, you will be too. Your spirit will return with the others to wherever you came from." _

"And I'll be dead again!" Zedd laughed, "Sorry your sad little attempt at convincing me to save you and your group of intolerable friends failed. I would take Rita's side before yours anyway. As appalling and dreadfully obnoxious she can be… she is still my wife."

To Lord Zedd's surprise and delight, the human retreated, leaving him to his own thoughts once again.

"This is going to be a disaster." He said as he left to join the others.

* * *

Death occurs all day, every day. At every minute of ever hour, someone is lost. We are never guaranteed we'll wake up to see tomorrow morning and the gift of life can be taken away as easily as it is given to us. You never know when your time will come. You could be walking across the street at the wrong time or told you have a terminal illness with just weeks or months to live… you could even die at the hands of an enemy from your past. We lose everything and everyone we love at some point or another and for that, we can never be prepared. But when it finally does happen… when you lose your best friend, your brother or sister… your parents… you never know just how you'll respond. For Mike Corbett, losing his only brother was the biggest devastation of his life. He had been joking with Leo just hours before he went on stage. The two of them constantly made each other laugh; it was the only thing that got them through everything they had faced together. They grew up with no parents or any other relatives. Becoming Power Rangers was the best thing that had ever happened to either of them; Mike just never thought he'd lose his brother because of it. For him it felt like everything had been put on hold; Leo was all he had had left. All he was aware of now was his rapidly beating heart as his eyes scanned his brother's body on the floor below him. Just hours before Leo entered the battle that would take his life he was with all of his friends and teammates at such an incredible get-together. How could such a momentous occasion turn into such a horrendous disaster?

Mike's arms were holding him up as he sat on his legs next to Leo. The other Galaxy Rangers were just behind him, all sitting at this point. Kai stood out from the rest, his expression full of anger in comparison to his friends' dismaying looks. Kendrix continued to sob as her glasses sat in her lap. Maya sat next to her with her arm around her and her head on Kendrix's shoulder. It had only been half an hour since the enemy had taken their leave and yet it felt like it had been so much longer.

"Mike…" Andros spoke softly.

But Mike didn't budge nor did he respond.

"We need to take him elsewhere." Andros was bent down on the other side of Leo. Despite the pain he felt from his freshly acquired injury, he didn't show it. He was there trying to keep on his façade for everyone and lead. The other Rangers were still present in the auditorium further away from the scene. None of them could speak as they continued to watch in awe.

Mike's eyes, somber and glassy from the tears he had immediately shed upon hearing Leo was dead, were still locked on his brother's face. Andros looked at Leo again before shaking his head in disbelief. He looked back at Mike then, finally knowing what he should say.

"I know that you feel like time has just stopped…" He began, thinking about how he felt when he thought he had lost Zhane, "…that you keep breathing and wondering why you get to continue to have that luxury and not him… But Mike, this isn't your fault. This isn't anyone's fault but Mesogog's."

"Many of you already know who our special guest is…"

Immediately taken aback, Andros looked up then at where the voice had come from.

"Why did he say that?" Kai asked Andros in an accusatory tone, referring to Mesogog's words just before Tommy was revealed to be their prisoner.

Andros bit his lip as he looked away from Kai for a moment. Everyone was looking at Andros now, including his own teammates, all of who were afraid for the reaction Andros's words were about to bring.

"Because it's true." Andros replied honestly, "Some of us did know about this."

Kai let out a quick breath, even angrier now because his suspicions were becoming reality. Seeing his reaction pushed Andros to speak again, "I had gone to rescue Tommy. He had been taken captive and I was the only one with the power or the capability to go."

"How long?" He asked as he stood and took a few steps toward Andros, "How long have you known our enemies were back?"

Someone walked into the auditorium as Andros answered, "A week." He admitted.

Something clicked in Mike then as he looked up at Andros with a fierce expression. He immediately got up and lunged at Andros. Kai jumped in to pull him back as Zhane and Rocky acted quickly, both of them standing protectively at Andros's side.

"YOU KNEW ABOUT THEM?" Mike yelled as Damon helped Kai hold him back, "YOU KNEW THEY WERE BACK AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?"

"I didn't think it would get this far." Andros spoke calmly, not moving from his position next to Leo.

"MY BROTHER WOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW IF HE HADN'T BEEN BLINDSIDED BY THIS."

Zhane and quite a few of the others who had known about the situation were shocked that Andros was taking the heat for Jason's decision.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" The voice caught them all off guard.

"Karone…" Zhane said as she looked at each of them with confusion, "I said I would be arriving late and here you guys are-" She looked down at the floor then, finally seeing what everyone was upset over.

"Oh my God…" She fell to her knees as her jaw dropped slightly. She stole the spotlight as she sat down next to Leo, gently and slowly placing her hand upon his chest, "Leo…"

Andros stood then, taking a few steps back as his sister took in the loss everyone had been dealing with.

"…What?" She started, her single word dying off as she tried to wrap her brain around the scene she had just walked into, "What happened?" As she finished she looked behind her up at Andros.

He returned the glance with intensity and sadness in his expression, feeling completely overwhelmed. He looked down at her and didn't have the heart to respond.

How could he tell his sister she had just walked into a conflict that was not only unexpected but also practically unimaginable.

For once in his life, instead of facing the situation head-on, Andros wanted to retreat from it altogether.

And without saying a word, he did.

* * *

"How's he doin'?" Jason asked as he continued to stand next to Tommy's bedside. Tommy was still on the bed with an oxygen tube in his nose. His upper body was exposed; Carlos had bandaged his back and wrapped it around Tommy's chest.

Carlos sat opposite of Jason as he tended to Tommy's right arm, "They beat him up pretty bad but his wounds will heal. Andros prevented a serious infection on this arm but he's more than likely going to need a few months to recover. He's been steadily receiving fluids for the last hour but it'll probably be a while before he wakes up. His body is exhausted from lack of nourishment."

"So he'll be okay then." Jason said with a little relief as he watched Carlos nod and stand while placing his hand on Tommy's forehead.

"He seems to have a fever... I'm going to grab him some medicine from my own supplies." Carlos replied as he walked toward the door.

"Hey..." Jason immediately began, "Tommy doesn't usually take anything for pain. He doesn't like feeling out of control."

"I've got to give him something for the fever." Carlos replied sternly, "I have already given him a small dose of morphine and antibiotics too."

"I know that's necessary right now..." Jason began again, "But when he wakes up he should be the one to tell us whether or not he wants anything."

"And when he wakes up in a tremendous amount of pain, pain that will lengthen his recovery time because he's unwilling to give his body some rest... I'm going to need you to be on my side."

Jason let out a tired breath, looking over at Tommy again as Carlos spoke once more.

"Can you do that for me, Jason? ...For him?"

He looked back at Carlos seeing just how serious the former black space ranger was. He reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. Carlos's eyes remained locked with Jason's until he turned around and walked out of the room.

As he closed the door, he looked up to see Andros walking toward him in a hurry. Carlos instantly noticed just how forlorn he looked.

"Hey… What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Andros quickly responded. He stopped in front of Carlos as his eyes met the Med Bay doors, "Is he going to be okay?"

"For now, yes." Carlos replied almost hopelessly. He had no idea what it meant for Tommy to be connected to Mesogog in the way that he was.

"Good." Andros simply replied as he began to walk away again.

"Andros…" Carlos called as he gently grabbed Andros's arm to pull him back around, "What happened in there? You look terrible."

He looked back at Carlos with a stern expression. He had decided after disclosing some of the truth to Mike that he was going to be honest with everyone from now on, "…I told Mike." He answered quietly.

Carlos's mouth fell slightly ajar as if he were going to respond but he didn't know what to say. He hadn't seen Andros like this since the day Zordon had died.

Andros, not wanting to say anything more, looked away from Carlos then. He turned around and began to walk away again, this time leaving before Carlos could respond. Carlos took off then too, heading toward his room for his bag of medical supplies. As he reached his door he could faintly hear arguing coming from the auditorium. He decided he wouldn't go down there as thoughts of how screwed up and complicated this situation was came into mind. He didn't want to become involved; Carlos hated confrontation.

"I don't know what to do here, Mike!" Kai said aloud, "Everything else aside, this is reality. Leo is gone and we are all still here in this room-"

"No…" Mike began as he shook his head. He was standing off by the nearest wall as everyone in the room continued to watch him, "THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE EVER HAPPENED! HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GO OUT THIS WAY!" He shouted.

Hayley didn't want to bring any attention to herself with everything that was going on in the room but she couldn't help but think of Jamie, "I'm worried Billy…" She whispered into his ear, "I haven't seen Jamie since she ran from the stage."

"We should send a search party… she may have left the ship." He replied quietly. Hayley looked over at Connor then as she got her phone out. He was the perfect choice to go with his super-speed running capability.

A moment later Connor was pulling his phone out of his pocket, '_Can you go look for Jamie? She may have left the ship… I am really worried.' _

He looked up from his phone and over at her giving her an understanding nod before quietly making his way over to the door. Quite a few of the Rangers noticed his departure before turning back to Mike and the others.

Mike was breathing heavier than he ever had been as tears continued to fall onto his face. It was truly difficult for the others to watch the absolute heartbreak he was experiencing.

Maya got up at that moment, approaching him with caution. Her friends watching her with looks of despair, "Mike…" She quietly said, "Look at me."

It took a few moments for Mike to make eye contact with her but when he did she reached out to him, placing her right hand on the side of his face, "I am so sorry this happened… I loved Leo and it is tearing me up inside to see you this way as much as his death is." She paused as she wiped away a tear of her own, "But you have to say goodbye… We need to accept this and find a way to fight back… For him and for us."

His lips pursed as he tried to hold back even more emotion. Her words had gotten to him; that much could be seen in his face. She wrapped her arms around him as he slowly returned the gesture. He looked over at Leo a few moments later while still wrapped in her embrace. Mike was the one to break away, his hand leaving her shoulder as he walked back over to his brother's body.

Mike bent over Leo as he had done earlier. He placed his left hand on Leo's chest as his right touched the top of Leo's head. He immediately felt worse realizing how cold his brother had become. Mike's forehead met with Leo's as he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath through his nose.

"…I love you, baby brother. I always will."

That was all he said before he gently kissed the top of Leo's head. He got up very slowly, the moment he looked up from Leo he never looked back. He couldn't bear to look back. Mike walked through the crowd of his friends and teammates never making eye contact with any of them. He quietly made his exit out the back door of the auditorium. Once he had left the other Galaxy Rangers reluctantly began to say their goodbyes. They all gathered around Leo together, the rest of the Ranger family still present.

Karone had managed to stand. She had her fists cupped as she covered her mouth with her hands. Zhane stood next to her with his arm around her. She was in tears. "Do you want to say anything?" Zhane asked her calmly. Damon and Maya looked over at her as she shook her head. She had no idea what to say at this point. Maya stood again, going over to her, "Come sit with us." She reached for one of Karone's hands as Zhane let go, gently pulling her over to join the rest of the team. She didn't have to say anything… but she needed to be there with them.

"I'm going to miss you, man. You were an amazing leader and an incredible friend. We'll be seeing each other again for sure." Damon spoke as he grabbed Leo's right shoulder.

"You were the spirit that kept us all alive. We'll never be the same without you, Leo… Maya quietly said as she held Leo's left hand, "_I'll_ never be the same without you."

"It took us a while to see eye to eye…" Kai began a few moments later, "But you ended up being the closest thing I could call a brother…" Kai wanted to say more but choked up at that moment, "… I'm really going to miss you, Leo."

Kendrix was the last to speak… the others now with their eyes on her. She continued to stare at Leo's face… She couldn't believe this moment had come, "I never…" She dropped her head slightly as she shook it in disbelief, "… I never got the chance to tell you just how much I really loved you. I wish I had... I may have had the chance to date a Red Ranger." She grinned at that before continuing, "You will always be in our hearts and our minds… especially mine." She reached down at that moment and just as Mike had done she kissed the top of his head, "And now I'll say it…" She whispered into his ear as she closed her eyes… "I love you, Leo."


	13. Mishap at the Flex

CHAPTER 13 – Mishap at the Flex

Jason still remained at Tommy's bedside, periodically checking his watch. Jamie had been missing for almost five hours and he couldn't help but worry. Even more so he was afraid of Tommy waking up before she was found. He shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. His left hand met his cheek as he began to rub his temple. If someone were to ask him how he felt at that moment he didn't know what he would say. Jason was extremely relieved to have his best friend back but Tommy's current state was incredibly unsettling. He had no idea how or why Mesogog had linked himself to Tommy in such a way.

'There's got to be a way to break the connection.' Jason pondered.

Mesogog had turned Tommy's life upside down and in such a destructive manner that it had Jason in a state of vehemence he couldn't control. The amount of anger he had felt in the past week was probably more than he had felt in his entire life. He couldn't sleep and hadn't been eating well since Tommy was taken. Even now, with Tommy right in front of him, he still felt like he was on edge.

Jason let out a deep breath as he moved closer to Tommy's bed. He slowly extended his hand onto Tommy's wrist, his eyes following his action. He stared at Tommy's hand watching for any sign of movement. A few minutes passed before he dropped his head, shaking it aggressively in disbelief.

"…I am so sorry, Tommy." He began, his view of the floor, "I'm sorry this happened to you… All I ever do is manage to let you down. Jamie should have _never_ gone up on that stage… I allowed that to happen just as I allowed our enemy to walk all over us… And Leo…"

His words trailed off as he thought of the former Red Galaxy Ranger, 'He should be alive right now.'

He let out another breath, this time trying to calm himself down, "You better not die on me, Tommy… we'll get you out of this, I know we will."

He looked back up at Tommy then for the first time since he began to speak, "I can't lose you, bro… neither can your little girl."

* * *

It had only been a couple of hours since the Galaxy Rangers had left the auditorium followed by T.J., Zhane, and Karone. Cassie and Ashley both sat in chairs at one of the tables toward the front of room. They both looked as if they were going to be sick, especially Ashley. She had wanted to go after Andros earlier but Cassie had discouraged her from doing so. Cassie looked over at Justin who had taken a seat closer to the middle of the room with the rest of the Turbo and Zeo Rangers. He was bent over one of the tables with his elbows on the surface and his hands wrapped around the back of his neck. Kat sat near him with her arms crossed as did Adam a few chairs down from her. Everyone was deep in thought; they all could definitely feel the tenseness of the room. Billy and Hayley sat next to each other in the back of the auditorium with the other Dino and Mighty Morphin' Rangers. Hayley was glancing over at Kim periodically. The original pink ranger had been staring at the floor for the last two hours as she held her legs up into her chest. She was the only one who hadn't spoken to the group in that amount of time.

They had all established pretty quickly after some discussion that they would fight together as a group rather than send only the ones that still had powers. No matter what happened; they would all stick together. And that meant a lot for some, who were having to make sacrifices to be there. Kira had already cancelled her tour, which had been set to start in a month. Tanya had to turn down cases and wouldn't be seeing her son for at least a few weeks. Carlos was taking the biggest hit, using his vacation time from the hospital on such short notice. Their everyday lives would have to be put on hold; they were back in the good vs. evil arena to fight the big fight and for some it was almost invigorating.

"Where did Connor go?" Kira asked as she looked at Hayley.

"To find Jamie." She replied calmly.

"She's Tommy's daughter?" Adam asked then, causing some of them to look over at Hayley.

"Yes, adopted daughter… and Jason's Goddaughter."

"Shouldn't more of us be out there looking for her?" Tanya quickly inquired.

"Connor has the capability to run as fast as a cheetah, if not faster." Kira replied.

"They all have a special ability that came with their powers." Hayley cut in, "Tommy's is invisibility in case any of you were wondering what happened up there."

"So even to this day… Tommy gets the cool powers." Zack added, gradually forming a smile, "All I have to say is that you should hook a brother up. The rest of us definitely got jipped." Zack's words lightened the mood some as a handful of them smiled.

Kira checked her phone in that moment, seeing how long it had been since Connor had left. "I'm going to give Connor a call." She announced to those around her before getting up and walking out of the auditorium.

"What did Andros have in his hand?" Justin spoke up a few minutes later, "That reptile guy wanted it back pretty badly."

"The Dolmen stone." A voice replied. Justin whipped his head to his left as his eyes met Billy.

Billy took in a deep breath as everyone else's eyes landed on him, "It's a very powerful piece of history essentially… It is named after the Dolmen Gateway, a stone entryway into the spirit world. The Gateway was destroyed by the Alliance some time ago and the stone is the only piece of it left. When I was on Aquitar, they told me it hadn't been seen in over a century."

"Well, what does it do?" Rocky asked as he scooted to the end of his chair.

"Its power is remarkable, really…" Billy began again, "Its keeper can summon back any spirit he or she wants granted they have a life force the spirit can latch on to."

"Is the stone connected to Dr. O?"

Billy looked over at Ethan "It is..." He sadly replied, "The stone gives its keeper the ability to live forever through multiple life forms."

Hayley had her eyes focused on one of the banners hanging on the wall directly across from her, "Mesogog will live as long as Tommy does…"

"Yes… until the connection is broken and Mesogog is given the chance to connect to another." Billy added.

"How do we break the connection?" Kat asked in a pleading tone. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Billy didn't immediately respond, looking down for a moment as he clasped his hands together, "There is only one way to break the connection…" He sighed knowing how his next words would affect everyone, "Tommy has to die."

"There's got to be another way." Trent interjected, "My dad could probably help."

Hayley shook her head, "He and Tommy had come across the stone and had carefully hidden it… Anton called me just before the reunion and told me it had gone missing weeks ago. I asked him the same thing... He was devastated to hear Tommy had gone missing too." She trailed off not needing to say any more.

"Who all knew about Tommy? About this threat?" Rocky was trying hard to believe there was nothing they could do to save one his longest friends, "We all should have been informed about this." He finished, getting up from his seat.

No one responded as they all looked around at each other, "We could have prevented this, or had something planned ahead of time… Instead we have a dead ranger and another soon to join him."

"This happened a little over a week ago." Ashley replied strongly, wanting to be just as truthful as Andros was, "Tommy was taken and Jason asked for Andros's help. The _only_ reason any of the rest of us found out was because they were sending us footage of Tommy's situation from their base to ours. _All_ of us wanted to spare the rest of you this news until it was necessary for you to get involved."

"Well the time to get us involved should have been the moment you found out." Adam added as he shook his head.

"Got that right." Zack replied just after him.

"We didn't want to ruin this celebration." Cassie stated calmly, "Having this reunion was such a big deal… we hoped we would have everything under control sooner than this."

"Well it sure as hell isn't." Rocky snapped.

"WHO CARES?" Kim yelled, taking everyone by surprise, "…We have just been attacked… emotionally crushed and stepped all over by enemies that we have defeated before. It's like they laughed in our faces coming to us in the way that they did, showing how much of an upper hand they have. We were all mentored by Zordon… and you guys…" She added pointing to the Dino Rangers, "Were mentored by Tommy... How on earth does a group as exceptional as us fall into an argument so unworthy of our time."

The room fell silent again. Rocky let a long breath out through his nose before sitting back down.

"We just need to accept the situation for what it is." Billy urged after a few minutes passed, "We need a plan to drive us forward."

"It's pretty difficult to accept this and move forward when our past has come back to torment us." Ethan responded.

"That's what we do, though… As Rangers we accept the situation no matter what it is and fight back to the best of our abilities." Justin spoke up.

"But fighting back means killing one of our own." Trent emphasized.

"We'll figure something out." Hayley cut in, wanting to change the topic, "…I think I should go check on the boys. I can at least try to convince Jason to eat something."

"I can go." Kat insisted, her response catching Kim's attention.

"Yeah… sure." Hayley replied with a head nod. Kat got up then as everyone watched her leave.

"I think we all should get something to eat and take a break from this actually… We can return to this conversation a little later." Billy spoke again.

"Definitely." Zack added.

Hayley felt more than relieved to hear her boyfriend's words as well as everyone else in the room.

"We'll begin to set-up sleeping arrangements for you all soon." Ashley said as she stood. Cassie got up with her, "Help yourselves to anything you see here, we have hundreds of other options for meals in the kitchen as well."

As she finished, many of them began to get up and chat. Ashley headed for the door, Cassie right behind her, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"He needs me, Cass." She replied as she took off down the hall to their right. Cassie watched her go before heading down the opposite hall.

It was going to be a long reunion aboard the Megaship, that much was for sure. Cassie thought of Kendrix and the others as she crossed her arms and continued to walk down the hall alone. 'I should check on them.' She thought to herself, picking up her pace as she began to search for them.

* * *

The halls were as dark as ever. She was practically running but she didn't know what exactly she was running from. Trakeena had figured out by now that the spirit she was feeding off of was breaking through her. It was a woman and she was constantly in Trakeena's head. She didn't understand how her counterparts were controlling theirs.

"This was the worst way to come back." She said aloud as she threw her back against the wall to her right. She banged her head against the wall multiple times, _"You won't get rid of me, Trakeena… You're borrowing my life, remember? I will always be a part of you unless you do something to end this misery you're in." _

"Shut up!" Trakeena responded, "I will rule _you_! Not the other way around…"

"_No… you will never be able to do that. There is too much good in me to allow you to take control. In the end I know you'll listen to me… I have to get back to my family." _

"I just killed someone despite your attempts to stop me." Trakeena snapped, "You need to understand that I make my own decisions."

"_You may make your own decisions but I will be right there with you every time, trying to convince you otherwise."_

"STOP TALKING!" Trakeena shouted. She felt someone grab her arm then and pull her over to the wall across from her. Whoever it was had just seen her entire outburst.

"HEY!" She yelled again.

"Get a hold of yourself!" The single torch in the hall produced just enough light to make out Divatox's face, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Divatox asked in a scolding tone.

Trakeena aggressively jerked her arm away from Divatox, "First off… Don't you dare touch me again. Secondly- "

"It's your human spirit…" Divatox cut her off, "They keep breaking through and you can't control it."

Trakeena gave her a scowl, "So you can control yours?"

"Of course I can… I have to." She paused as she came closer to Trakeena's face, "If you let that human control you… you'll be the weakest one here. And if Mesogog sees that you're falling apart he'll be the first to take you out." She raised one eyebrow as she continued in a matter-of-fact kind of tone, "You better get a handle on this, honey… I wouldn't want to see your demise." Divatox grinned, "I actually kind of like you."

Trakeena snickered as she watched Divatox walk away. Her shadow followed her as she disappeared down the dark passageway.

"_Don't worry… She doesn't have control of her spirit either." _

Trakeena's face turned sour the moment the woman spoke again. She didn't know what to do… or who to believe. She was unsure of what Mesogog truly had planned and definitely didn't like being one of his minions. There was only one thing she was sure of… she wouldn't be able to handle this woman being inside of her head for much longer.

* * *

"JAMIE!" Connor yelled as he looked around his surroundings before checking his watch. It was almost one in the morning and he had been out there searching for the last four hours.

"Come on, Jamie… where are you?" He asked himself out loud. He thought of Tommy in that moment and how much he didn't want to disappoint him. 'I've got to find her…'

His phone rang then as he reached into his pocket for it. He figured it was Hayley and didn't bother to see who was calling, "Hello?"

"Connor… It's Kira."

"What's up?" He asked a little surprised as he shone his flashlight around the area he had just walked into.

"I was getting worried… you've been out there for hours. I thought I'd ask if you wanted some help."

"Not yet." He replied, "I've covered almost five miles out from every angle around the Megaship and I'm about to go a little further… I can't imagine her running out this far."

"That _is_ pretty far… let me know if you need anything, okay?" Kira paused, "…I hope she's alright."

"She has to be…" He responded. She was out there somewhere waiting for someone to find her and he refused to believe otherwise, "Tell Hayley and Jason not to worry. I won't come back until I have her."

"I will… please be safe, Connor."

He produced half a smile before replying, "Don't worry about me, Kira."

* * *

The simulation room was the perfect place for the Galaxy Rangers to retreat to. Zhane and T.J. had set them up in there to give them some space away from everyone. One wall of the room was covered with a night sky and a beach beneath it. Andros had managed to update just about everything on the Megaship. The additions of these scenes to the Simulation Deck were mandatory for him, as he loved to take Ashley on dates there.

The waves calmed Maya as she sat and listened; Damon had managed to fall asleep to it. Mike sat on the floor quite a few feet away from them with his back against his cot. He had requested to be left alone a few hours prior and his friends had respected his wish. Kai took off soon after they had reached that room as did Kendrix but she later returned and fell asleep.

No one seemed to hear Cassie as she entered the room, the door sliding closed behind her. She went over to Mike first, not knowing if she should.

She bent down next to him, "Do you need anything?" She whispered.

She noticed then that he was holding a bottle of what used to be red wine. Cassie looked back up at him, "Do you want to lay down? I can go get you some water." Her tone was just slightly louder. Maya looked behind her, getting up right away. As she neared Mike and Cassie she bent down as well.

"Mike?" Maya asked as she tried to look up at him. His head hung low but his eyes were still partially open. He was unresponsive.

"I think we should just put a pillow on the floor here and get him to lay down. I don't think he's going to get up." Cassie said as she reached for the pillow on his cot.

"Why not just leave him alone?" Kai asked as he entered the room. The girls watched him walk over to his bag and pocket something from inside it before walking back out of the room.

They were both a little taken aback. Maya blew him off as Cassie resumed what she was doing as they started to try and move Mike.

They could both tell he was fighting them, pushing back as they did, "Let me handle this, Cassie. You should go…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah… just get out of here." Mike's words shocked them both as Cassie got up right away. Maya looked up at her with an apologetic expression.

"It's fine… I'll come back later." She said before turning to leave. She was somewhat relieved to not be in there anymore. She knew how bad Mike was hurting and his words didn't really bother her in the end. It gave her time to figure out where Kai had gone to as well. She just hoped he wouldn't be as hostile.

* * *

The door to Jason's left slid open as a familiar face walked into the Med Bay.

"Hey." Katherine greeted as she walked over to the end of Tommy's bed.

"Hey Kat." He replied as he glanced at her before looking back at Tommy.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a little while?" He shook his head as she pulled up another chair next to his, "How is he?" She asked as she sat down.

Jason was slouched back into his chair with his arms crossed, "He's okay for now."

"Good." She replied as she looked from him to Tommy, "Gosh, I haven't seen him in so long. The short hair really suits him."

"Yeah… I was surprised he actually chopped it off. He loved his long hair."

Kat grinned as she looked back at Jason, "You know… you don't look too shabby yourself."

He turned his head then, giving her an inquisitive look, "Thanks, but I know you're just trying to lift my spirits."

"No." She insisted, "Time has been really good to you, Jason." She giggled as she grabbed his knee, "Oh come on… just take a compliment."

He grinned, as she saw a little light come back into his eyes, "Thanks Kat."

The two of them sat there for a few minutes before she decided to speak again, "What have you been up to all these years?"

"Well…" Jason said as he thought about it, "I lived on the east coast for a few years teaching karate. It didn't last long though, I missed California." He looked back over at Tommy, "I tried to move back to Angel Grove when Reefside started to come under attack but Tommy wouldn't let me. At the time he told me he was living in Angel Grove and was forcing himself to not get involved there. I had no idea he was fighting again, let alone mentoring a full team."

"He didn't want you to worry." She added, "He was looking out for you."

"Yeah… though I wish he hadn't been." He finished, thinking about the fight he had with Tommy when he finally discovered the truth. They had been through enough and their time as Rangers had come and gone. To this day, Jason wasn't happy about Tommy's decision to go back to Rangering.

"So when did you finally move back then?"

He thought about her question, unsure if he wanted to give her the real answer, "About eight or nine years ago… after I lost my fiancée."

Kat was completely taken aback, "Oh, Jason… I am so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah…" He replied softly, "She got cancer… pancreatic, so she didn't have a fighting chance with it being so developed already." He paused as he collected his thoughts with Kat's eyes still on him, "After that happened I couldn't stay in Boston… I came back here because it was the only place I truly knew and felt comfortable in. Tara had always wanted to come to California… I had been planning our honeymoon here but we had a ceremony for her instead." He paused again as he looked back at Tommy, "I don't know what I would have done if Tommy hadn't still been here… he helped me get through the worst of it."

Kat had no idea what to say. Jason had revealed a hell of a lot more than she had anticipated but she figured it was a good thing that he was talking to her about it. Before she could respond he spoke again, "…I'm not ready to lose him too."

"I know." She replied strongly. She felt compelled to rub his back but placed her hand on his shoulder instead.

The door slid open again, prompting them both to look up, "Hey…" Hayley said as she entered the room, "I brought you some water, Jason."

"Thanks." He replied, taking the bottle from her. Her and Kat watched as he took the world's smallest sip before setting the bottle on the table next to Tommy's bed.

"I was uh… actually hoping to speak with you outside, Jason." Hayley said as he looked up at her again.

"Alright." He responded with a nod. They could both tell he was reluctant to leave.

"I'll stay." Kat told them as they walked out of the room. She made eye contact with Jason as she said this, reassuring that he could leave and not have to worry.

"Did Connor find her?" He asked immediately as they got into the hall.

"Yes… He just called and told me she was six miles out. He didn't give me any details, only that he had just found her and she seemed to be okay. I should be hearing from him again soon."

Jason breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Thanks for letting me know." He said as his eyes veered to his right and met someone else's.

"Hey…" Kim said as she walked up to them, "Is it okay if I go in?"

"Yeah… Kat is in there already." Jason replied. She produced a slight smile before walking into the Med Bay.

"You need to take a break, Jason… get some dinner at least." Hayley spoke again. He looked away from her as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, "Yeah… maybe I should."

She was surprised by his answer but happy nonetheless, "Come on… I'll go with you and you can talk to Connor when he calls."

He looked from her to the Med Bay door, "I'm just going to tell them…"

"Let them be, Jason. They're fine… So is Tommy. You can always come back, just take a minute to take care of yourself for once."

He looked back at her and nodded. He knew she was right and he didn't have the energy to fight her about it, "Let's get some dinner." He finally said.

* * *

"I know what I want to do." Mesogog spoke slowly as Prince Gasket listened intently. The other villains had gone their separate ways for the evening but Gasket always stayed close to Mesogog. He figured his loyalty would get him further than the others.

"And what's that, sir?"

Mesogog sat with his left claw out on one of his tables and his back to Prince Gasket, "I'm going to send what little army I have left here to retrieve that stone… If I don't get it baaack… it will be the end of me. That Red Ranger knows more than I thought… He's a Kerovian."

"Do you think it is wise to just go in and attack? It won't be a surprise this time around."

"Of course it is, the majority of them… have no powers this time." He paused as he turned around and stood in front of Gasket, "We will give them some time to gather themselves… and then I'll send in the Tyranodrones when they're least expecting it."

"That's a good plan, sir."

"Of course it is!" Mesogog roared, "I don't need _you_ to tell me that."

"_Get out of there before he gets rid of you."_

"Oh, shut it!" Gasket said aloud, immediately regretting it.

"What was that?" Mesogog asked in a threatening tone as he took a few steps toward Gasket.

"Nothing, sir. Nothing." He assured.

"Get out." Mesogog simply said as Gasket bowed his head and left in a hurry.

Gasket walked quickly down the hall and away from Mesogog's Lab in a fury, "You'll be the end of me, you know that… It won't be him that gets rid of me, it'll be _you!"_

Gasket stopped then in the middle of the hall as his spirit responded, "_You're absolutely right." _

* * *

"Jamie? Hey Jamie…" Connor placed his flashlight on a nearby rock so he could see her and have his hands to free her. She was still lying back against the rock with her eyes closed.

"Connor?" She asked softly as her eyes opened. Connor could hear the fear in her voice, "I'm stuck... my foot is-"

"It's okay, I'm going to get you out." He told her as he grabbed her shoulder, "Stay put okay? I don't want you to hurt yourself when I do this." It was clear he wasn't going to be able to just pull her out nor could he use power to break the rock without hurting her.

She nodded as he got up from the rock opposite of her, "DINO THUNDER- POWER UP!" He called out as the area shone a bright red for a few moments.

He bent back down as he lodged himself next to her, his feet against the rock that had trapped her there. He began to push as Jamie watched in astonishment. He grunted as he pushed, the rock was at least a thousand pounds. It started to budge when Connor stopped suddenly. He took a few breaths as he began to get up.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked immediately.

"New approach." He said out of breath as he stood on top of the rock again. His body began to glow as Jamie watched with big eyes, "SUPER DINO MODE!" He called out as the white patterns on his suit turned into spiked armor. Connor was already heading back down into the rocks as the transformation finished. Before he started to push he looked over at Jamie, "I want you to hold onto my shoulder as tightly as you can… when I push this thing you're going to pull yourself up. Got it?"

She nodded as she extended her arm and held onto his shoulder. He pushed the rock again with his feet, this time with much more force. The rock moved immediately prompting Jamie to do as Connor had asked. As she pulled herself up he wrapped his left arm around her. Jamie held onto one of his spikes as he allowed the rock to fall back into place.

Connor pulled himself up and out of the rocks then as he held onto Jamie. He demorphed as he made it to the top of the hillside, at the same time helping Jamie to sit down. She frowned as she looked at her ankle. Connor held the flashlight in his mouth as he felt for any broken bones, "Does this hurt or feel like it's more sore?" He asked as he gently felt around her ankle.

"Sore, I guess." Her eyes squeezed shut as he touched one spot in particular.

"Judging by the swelling, tenderness and slight bruising… I'd say you've torn a ligament."

"What does that mean?" She asked, "It's not broken, is it?"

"No… Just a sprain I think. Let's get you back to the ship where Carlos can take a look at it."

"Wait." She immediately replied, "My phone… I dropped it in between the rocks when I fell."

Connor was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to head back, "I'm sure you can get another… we need to get-"

"No!" She cried, "I don't want another… I want mine back."

"It's probably damaged, Jamie…" He tried to reason calmly.

"Please, Connor… I need the pictures from it. I can't replace those…"

He bit his lip as he shook his head, "…Okay. I'll go try to find it. Just stay here."

She nodded as she turned around to watch him go back. He looked down at his watch as he walked back to the rocks, "Almost three in the morning," He said aloud, "Let's find this thing and get out of here."

* * *

"How was it?" Ashley asked as her and Andros came into the kitchen. Andros looked like he was in better spirits as the two sat down across from Hayley and Jason. The four of them were the only ones there.

"Not bad." Jason replied, as he finished the last bite of his baked potato, "The steak was cooked perfectly… you guys should patent that microwave or whatever it is… you'd make millions here on Earth." He was more than impressed that he could pick a meal and it would be ready inside of the machine in seconds.

Andros smirked as Ashley spoke again, "I've said the same thing but Andros won't give it up."

"How are you both doing?" Hayley asked as they looked over at her, "And your sister… is she okay?"

"Hanging in there for sure." Andros said as he held two fingers straight ahead of him, "Karone hasn't come out of her room yet." He finished as he levitated his glass of water from across the room to his table. Hayley and Jason watched in awe, "How did you do that?" Jason asked as Andros took hold of his drink.

"All Kerovians can levitate… we are taught from a very young age." He responded.

"It takes a whole lot of concentration, that's for sure." Ashley added.

"This is how I was able to get the stone." Andros spoke again, "Mesogog had it behind a door, completely secured. There was just enough space under the door for me to pull the stone through." He paused as he grinned, "I'm pretty sure he's still trying to figure out how I did it."

"Where _is_ the stone?" Hayley inquired.

"I have it with me." Andros replied as he pulled it out of his pocket and put it on the table in front of everyone. It still shone it's vibrant purple, yet still managed to look like a rock you'd find on a beach somewhere.

"How can that little thing have so much power?" Jason asked aloud as he shook his head.

"The real question is how much power we'll need to destroy it." Andros added, picking up the stone and surveying it for a moment, "I'm not even sure the power we have now with all of us together will be enough."

"Well we can't destroy it until we find a way to break the connection between Mesogog and Tommy."

Andros looked up at him, surprised by his words, 'He doesn't know…' He thought as he looked at Ashley. Hayley looked down at the table, not wanting to have this particular discussion.

"What?" Jason asked immediately as he noticed their expressions change. He knew now based on their doleful faces that something was being withheld, "Whatever it is… tell me right now."

Before anyone could respond the door behind them slid open. Jason and Hayley got up immediately as Ashley and Andros watched them walk over to Connor.

"Where is she?" Hayley asked as Jason stood behind her with an expectant look on his face.

"Carlos is looking at her ankle, he told me I could find you guys in here."

"Let's go." Jason said as Hayley looked at him.

"I'm going to find Ethan." Connor cut in as he held out Jamie's broken phone, "This had fallen in between some rocks… I'm going to see if he can retrieve what was on it."

Jason nodded, "Thanks." As told him, patting him on the back before the three of them departed from the kitchen. Andros and Ashley remained as they started to eat their extremely late dinner.

"He doesn't know?" Andros asked her as the door shut.

"He wasn't in the auditorium for that conversation." She said quietly.

Andros shook his head slowly in disappointment; "There is always someone left out of the loop."

* * *

Kim had been with Tommy for over four hours. No one including Carlos had come in since then and Kat had left soon after she had arrived. Kim was grateful for that, having had time to spend with Tommy alone. She had fallen asleep an hour ago with her head on his bed. Her right hand still rested on his good arm. The door to the Med Bay opened then as a woman walked in. Hayley could be seen as she neared Tommy's bed opposite of Kim. Her face remained neutral as she looked from Kim to Tommy.

"Kim?" She asked as she placed her hand on Kim's back, "Wake up." She said softly.

Kim raised her head as he eyes opened. She blinked a few times before wiping them, "What time is it?"

"Almost five in the morning." Hayley told her, "Go get some rest in a real bed. I am going to take over the watch here for a little while."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive. I already sent Jason to do the same."

Kim got up then and stretched before giving Hayley a thankful grin and leaving the room.

She pulled up the same chair Jason had sat in earlier. She was relieved he hadn't brought the conversation from the kitchen back up. Jamie had been a much-needed distraction for him. She had wanted to see Tommy right away but Jason had been the one to talk her out of it. He stayed with her for a while, talking to her until the both of them finally fell asleep. Carlos had set up a room for Jamie and an extra bed for Jason, which Hayley was extremely happy about. The man hadn't slept in a bed in weeks.

Hayley looked over at the TV. The 5 o'clock news was on and she couldn't believe she had been up all night. She looked back at Tommy for a moment wondering when he would wake up. There would be a lot to talk about when he did, that was for sure.

_And now for our top story… _

_ It has been just two weeks since five people in California disappeared outside of a popular nightclub called The Flex in the small beach town of Reefside. They all left the club at around 8:10PM when witnesses' say the group vanished into thin air as green light illuminated the area. No progress has been made on how or why this happened but some fear it was the doing of an evil being again. _

_ Reefside gained its fame just as Angel Grove did; both were attacked mercilessly by monsters and creatures we only ever see in films. But it was the arrival of the super heroes that fought them off that had everyone talking. The Power Rangers are a household name by now, and for Reefside the group of multi-colored crime fighters haven't made an appearance in over seven years. Coincidentally their enemy, Mesogog has not made an appearance since then either, giving us the impression that he has long been defeated. _

_ Is this creature of evil back to no good after so long? We'll have to wait and see… but as far as these five innocent people still missing, authorities are doing all that they can to locate them. The sheriff told us here at Channel 9 news that he is praying that no such evil has returned to their 'peaceful, small town'. _

_ Tonight we finally reveal their identities, as the search for them is continuing to produce no leads. Katie Hamilton was there that night with her long-time friend and roommate, Sara Yi. Both girls were in their early 20's, just out of college. Alexis Rubio, Alex for short, was at the club alone. The 29-year-old Human Resources Manager was looking to have a good night out on the town, something her mother tells us is hard for her to do considering she is the single mother of two. Alex left the club with John Delaney, a 34-year-old electrical engineer she had met while there. John was only in town for a job and due to head back to Portland, Oregon six days ago. The company John works for has been steadily donating money to fund the search for their missing friend and co-worker. The president of the company had this to say about his employee, 'John is an amazing man. He has such a kind heart and is an incredibly intelligent individual. He's part of our family here and we will do all that we can to ensure his safe return home.' _

_ Now this last man, Jeremy Sinclair is the odd ball in this group and for a very serious reason. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he's the man that murdered his wife in their Tucson home almost a decade ago… and he did it in front of the couple's only child. He was under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol the night he shot Mary Sinclair. The state of Arizona allowed him parole just five months ago and under very special circumstances. Sinclair was extremely cooperative during his nine years behind bars and spoke often of his regrets and the love he still had for his only daughter. It is believed at this point that Sinclair was only in Reefside to reconnect with his child. Our sources tell us his daughter, now 14, has had no contact with him since the night of the murder and has lived in Reefside for almost eight years now with her foster father. Their identities are being withheld at this point and will not be released. _

Hayley stared wide-eyed at the screen as her mouth fell open. The news report had put her in a state of panic. They had just gotten Jamie back and Tommy was finally stable and in the care and protection of his friends and family. Not to mention Jason was finally starting to give himself a break. This really was the icing on the cake.

'Tommy can't know about this…' She thought to herself as she lifted the remote and turned the TV off before looking back over at him.

She thought she felt her stomach drop to the floor as a wave of astonishment and deep concern washed over her. He was still in the same position with his head facing in her direction but there was one very significant change in him…

His eyes were partially open… and they were directly in line with the TV.

**AN: **Expect another chapter relatively soon as I have been writing like crazy lately. Special thanks to Ditena for helping me with some of this. Reviews are not only appreciated, but welcomed with big arms! Your feedback brings me copious amounts of joy and I thank you for it. It keeps me writing, that's for sure. Until next time, my friends. -K


	14. Out of Your Control

**AN**: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my sister, Jordan. She would have celebrated her 26th birthday yesterday. I know you're always with me in spirit and I can still see that beautiful smile of yours every day I think of you. Love you big sister.

ALSO- From here on out this story may become more detailed as far as violence and language goes. Please take that under consideration as the rest of this story will more than likely be rated just under mature.

**CHAPTER 14- Out of Your Control**

"Tommy?" Hayley asked as she walked over to him.

But he didn't respond, his eyes were still on the TV, "Tommy, please say something."

She glanced from the TV to him before crossing her arms and walking to the end of his bed. She stood directly in front of it, blocking his view. To her surprise Tommy blinked once and redirected his eyes up at her.

"Do you need anything? Some water?" Her concern for him was eating at her, "Come on Tommy… I can't handle this silence." She paused hoping for yet another response that didn't come, "Should I go get Carlos? I don't know what else-"

He slowly shook his head, his response impelling her to come back to his side. She pulled up the chair Kim had sat in earlier as she rested her hands on his forearm and looked up at him.

He slowly turned his head in her direction as he swallowed. Hayley noticed this as she grabbed the water bottle she had brought Jason earlier from the table next to his bed.

"Drink some of this." She said as she took the cap off and extended the bottle to him.

It took him a moment to respond as he slowly grabbed the bottle from her with his good arm and took a couple of sips, "Thanks." He quietly spoke as he handed it back to her with half a grin.

Hayley smiled at his response but her expression faded as quickly as his did. She rested her hands on his forearm again as he looked away from her. 'God, he looks so exhausted.' She thought as she rubbed his arm and tried to read his face.

"Jason can't know." He started, his tone soft and slightly strained.

She was about to ask him what he was talking about but then it hit her, "You saw that entire broadcast…" She began without receiving a response, "Tommy, he _should_ know about this. He wants to protect Jamie too."

"No…" He shook his head, "Not until I'm gone."

"What do you mean?" Hayley quickly inquired, "Where are you going?"

He looked back over at her with a solemn expression, "You know the answer to that already, Hayley."

She looked away then as she shook her head. She, for one, couldn't believe how non-chalant Tommy was acting. She had figured he would be angry and irrational with all that had happened to him; especially with this televised revelation they had both just seen. But Tommy was as calm as ever, "I don't understand how there can't be any way of saving you… How there isn't some- some sort of cure or way to break the tie between you and him."

"It's old magic… It's more powerful than anything I've ever seen, Anton too… and Mesogog has found a way to manipulate it. " He paused, grimacing as he started to feel pain in his arm and back.

"What is it?" She asked immediately, "What's wrong?"

"…I'm fine." He told her as he let out a calming breath, "Whatever Carlos gave me is wearing off."

"Well let me go get him." She suggested as she sprung up from her chair.

"Hayley… stay. Please just stay." He insisted as he reached for her arm to hold her back.

His pleading tone grabbed her instantly. She sat back down as she took hold of his hand. She held onto it tightly as he looked at her, 'Be stronger than this, Hayley. I can't bear to see you this way.' He thought as she continued to display her melancholic expression. She was scared and that was more than evident to him.

"When you guys end up saving that lunatic that caused my daughter so much pain… I want you to tell Jason who he is. He's got enough to deal with right now-" Tommy stopped again to try and reposition himself, the back injury was still fresh and it was extremely uncomfortable laying directly on it. "As for Jamie… she can _never_ know he was in Reefside or even out of prison. It would devastate her... you have to promise me you'll keep this between us and Jase."

She nodded in agreement before looking down at the floor momentarily. She looked like she was on the verge of crying and it definitely couldn't be over what he had just said, "What are you thinking about?" He asked as he carefully watched her.

"Anton told me early on what would happen to you... what that stone was capable of and what Mesogog had the potential to do. I told Billy and he spoke with everyone about it. Jason is the only one who doesn't know, Tommy… and I haven't had the heart to tell him."

"I'm sure he knows nothing good is going to come from this…"

"That man has had more hope for you than you can even imagine. He's been a wreck since you were taken; he's not going to accept your situation. Not now… Not after Leo either. He's too-"

"…What?" Tommy asked, cutting her off, "What happened to Leo?"

Her face tightened as she furrowed her eyebrows. She shook her head after a few moments giving Tommy enough of an answer. He looked away from her again, his expression that of disbelief. He didn't even want to know what had happened. He stared at the door in front of him, 'Mesogog has taken this way too far.' He thought before speaking again, "Is everyone else okay?" His eyes still remained on the door.

Hayley could see the anger and worry that had just come over him and could hear it in his voice, "Yes…" She reassured, "We're all fine."

"What about Jamie? …And Andros?"

"They're okay too. Andros suffered a minor injury, as did Jamie. She sprained her ankle somewhere in the forest after she ran from the stage."

"How far had she gone?"

"About six miles, if you can believe it. I sent Connor out there and he searched all night for her."

Tommy made a mental note to thank Connor when he saw him, "…I can go get her if you'd like." Hayley added.

"No… that's fine. I want her to rest."

"You should be doing the same." She commented, "Or at least trying to… I should go."

Tommy grasped her hand even harder, finally looking back over at her at the same time, "I don't have a lot of time left, Hayley." He started, disregarding what she had just said, "Something _will_ happen to me and soon…" He swallowed again; pausing for a few moments before he reluctantly continued, "…I know Billy will be there for you when it does… But when the inevitable happens… I need you to watch over my brother and my daughter for me." Tommy remained calm as Hayley continued to give him her undivided attention, "I will Tommy and you know that… you guys are my family."

He let out another breath before starting again, "I am so happy to have met you when I did. You've been… by my side through so much, Hayley." She noticed that it was becoming difficult for him to speak, "I can't… even begin to tell you how much I care about you… how grateful I am to have you in my life."

"Tommy, don't do this to me." She said as her eyes began to water, "I can't bear to listen to you give a final farewell when we aren't even at that point yet…"

"We _are_ at that point, Hayley…" He insisted, "Whether you like it or not I am going to die sometime in the next few weeks. And for all we know that could happen tomorrow… or tonight… maybe in the next few minutes… I don't even know at this point." He concluded in frustration as he caught his breath, "Please just let me talk." He paused again, letting go of her hand as he shakily raised his arm. He placed his hand on her shoulder as she took hold of it again with her own. She nodded because it was all she could think of doing. She wondered how she could be in this moment, how just weeks ago she had sat in his living room, sipping sweet moscato as Jamie recited a speech to them for her class. She wished she could go back to that, to _anything_ but this.

"I have a feeling that something will happen to Mesogog before we even have time to intervene… He brought those five back, all of whom wanted to rule everything and everyone themselves at one point. The six of them trying to work as a team… is a recipe for disaster. What you guys need to do is set up-"

Tommy's hand started to slip prompting her to hold onto it as she stood up. He had on that same pained expression from earlier only it was worse, "Tommy, I'm going to go get Carlos."

"Don't…" He said through clenched teeth, "I can handle this…" She continued to watch as she held his arm tightly against her chest. He grunted then as his eyes squeezed shut, "Tommy I know you don't want to take anything but you are in serious pain… the kind of pain they would monitor and keep under control if you were in a hospital right now." She couldn't bear to watch him suffer any longer; he wasn't getting any better and couldn't go back to their conversation if he tried. She let go of his arm as she began to walk to the door, "I am coming right back, just hang on. " He didn't respond this time as he grabbed his casted arm and held onto it.

She hurriedly walked down the hall to her left. She figured she would try the kitchen first, to see if anyone was in there. It was almost 6:30 AM and she knew she couldn't be the only early bird on the ship. As she neared the kitchen she hit a button on the side panel allowing the door to slide open.

"Good morning." A voice greeted her as she walked in. Cassie and Kai sat next to each other at the dining table, both looking up at Hayley as she walked in.

"Oh hey…" She replied, feeling like she had just intruded on a private moment, "I'm looking for Carlos, have either of you seen him?"

"Yeah..." Cassie immediately replied, "He just went back to his room, he came in here a little while ago for some coffee. Is it Tommy?"

She nodded as Cassie set her glass down and walked out in front of her, "I'll be right back." Kai nodded as the two of them made their way back toward the Med Bay. "I'll get him, just get back in there." She told her as they reached the door to Tommy's room.

"Hayley?" He asked upon hearing her come back in.

"I'm here." She replied as she came back over to his bed. "What do you need?"

"Help me… get onto my side." He began to move as he finished speaking. She held his arm as she helped him to turn over. He couldn't take lying on his back for one more minute.

Hayley held the side of his neck, her thumb resting on the lower part of his cheek, "Focus on your breathing…" She told him as she began to let out slow breaths in an attempt to soothe him, "Carlos is coming."

* * *

Anton Mercer sat at his desk inside of his office. He was leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his bottom lip with his index finger. His eyes remained fixed on the view of his Dinosaur exhibit outside of the single window to his left. Anton had thought about quite a bit in the last hour or so… from his good friend and colleague's current predicament to how the Dolmen stone had so easily been taken from his museum, "There has to be something more I can do…" He said aloud, "I'm going to lose him and it will be entirely my fault." When Hayley told him about Mesogog's return and the crew he brought with him, Anton couldn't believe his ears. He knew his son would have to return to battle as well as Tommy who literally was getting too old to be out in harm's way anymore. He wondered for a moment if Tommy's gem would accept him, making it possible for Anton to take Tommy's place in the battlefield. He picked up his cell phone then, deciding to give Hayley another call but before he was able to do so he saw what appeared to be a figure dressed in black swiftly run past his window. Anton shot up from his chair, opening his door immediately, "HEY!" He yelled after the figure. He figured someone was there to rob him. Anton ran down a hall to his right entering a room full of hand-made samurai swords he had collected over the years. He pulled a chair over to one of the shelves taking one of the biggest swords off of its stand. Anton jumped down then, running out of the room and back toward his office.

He stopped. His sword was extended, his stance defensive and ready for attack, "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

He received no response. Anton took a few steps past his office as he kept looking around his surroundings. He was the only one there, his security guard had already gone home for the day and was usually only there during the night. As he walked around the other side of his office he was met with two hands pushing him into the nearest wall. He dropped his sword as he grabbed onto the stranger's hands now wrapped tightly around his neck. The person was incredibly strong, lifting Anton up off of the floor. As his feet dangled, his face began to pale.

"Whatever…you want… I'll give you… anything!" Was all he could get out as his breathing began to slow. Just as he thought he was going to be choked to death the being let go, allowing Anton's body to fall to the floor. He held onto his neck with one hand as he kept himself up with his other on the floor. He kept coughing as he tried to catch his breath, "Who… are you? W-w-what do you want?" Whoever his attacker was, the person was well disguised. He couldn't see the person's face at all under the black cloak they had on.

"Get up." The intruder demanded, "Get up now and go into your office."

The intruder kicked him in the back at that point, Anton crying out as he slumped over momentarily, "I said, NOW."

Anton forced himself to get up as the person slowly followed behind, he supported himself against the wall all the way around to his office door. As they neared it, the attacker pushed him in, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Anton stood slightly hunched over next to his desk, "Have a seat, Anton."

He looked down at his chair and back up at his intruder, sweat now covering his face. Anton did as he was told, rubbing his neck once more, "What is this all about? How do you know my name?" He was nervous but doing a good job of not showing it. After sharing his body with a villain for so long, it was easy for him to put on a façade in times of stress.

The person closed the blinds and then took a seat as if he were there to casually discuss business. He took his cloak off only to reveal a face Anton thought he would never see again. He paled more than he had done just minutes prior.

His visitor smiled, "Surprise, Mercer."

* * *

**(9:30 AM Megaship Auditorium)**

"There's something I want you all to see." Andros announced as everyone started to quiet down. They had all gathered to continue their conversation from the night before, this time with Damon and Maya both present. Many of them were still eating breakfast as Andros used his remote to lower the screen above the stage.

"This was broadcasted this morning on the national news." He said as the video Hayley and Tommy had seen began to play. Hayley sat with the Dino Rangers, periodically looking back at the door. She wanted to keep her promise to Tommy more than anything and hoped both Jason and Jamie wouldn't come into the room.

"How did we not hear about this?" Conner asked as he looked over at his team.

"I don't know… but I feel extremely bad knowing we couldn't stop Mesogog from taking them." Ethan replied as Hayley stood.

"I'll be right back." Hayley told them as she left the auditorium. They gave each other curious looks, Hayley's departure being so abrupt.

"I want two Rangers posted at every side of the Megaship to be on watch. We don't know what Mesogog or the rest of them have planned but we need to be prepared. By now you have all been brought up to speed on the power of the stone I have in my possession and what it can do."

"Can't we just destroy it?" Damon spoke up, "It would end this whole mess, wouldn't it?"

"No… it would make it worse." Andros began again as he looked up to see Zhane, T.J. and Ashley walk in, "It's far more valuable to us as is and I don't want to do anything until we have freed those people."

"We should send out a rescue party," Rocky chimed in, "Just a few of us that still have powers. Those people need us right now."

"I disagree." Zhane started as he walked up to join Andros on the stage, "Andros and I should go in together, while the rest stay behind to protect the ship and everyone else on board. We'll be in and out with just the two of us… less noticeable that way as well."

Andros nodded slightly in agreement, "I want us all to make decisions together… no more lies or acting alone. I think Zhane's idea is a good one, it's just a matter of when to go."

"If we try anything right now they'll see it coming." T.J. replied.

"Yeah, but how much longer can those civilians endure what they're being put through?" Tanya added.

"We wait." Billy spoke up, "…We wait until they've made their move. We need them away from their base in order to get to those five. It's the safest for them and for Andros and Zhane."

Andros nodded, liking Billy's plan, "Anyone opposed to this plan raise their hand." He said aloud in a stronger tone. He and Zhane looked around the room as no hands came up, "Then it's settled."

"What about Mesogog?" Kira asked, "We can't let him get away… not this time." She emphasized.

"He won't." Andros assured, "Those people have to be our first priority though, Mesogog will get what's coming to him in time."

"He better." Maya commented, causing many of them to look over at her.

Andros nodded again, "Let's decide who will go on the first watch and we will assign others from there."

The conversation continued on for some time. Hayley would have to be updated later on, she wanted to see Tommy again and check on Jason as well. As she neared the Med Bay door her phone began to vibrate. She pulled it out immediately seeing that Anton had sent her a text message.

'_HELP' _was all it said. She looked up at the Med Bay door and back down at her phone before taking off down the hall. Her heart was racing, 'Please let him be okay.' She kept silently pleading. She didn't know at this point that someone was behind her, following her outside. She called Anton the moment she stepped out of the Mega Ship, her calls continuously ringing before going to his voicemail. She decided then she was going to leave; there was no time to tell anyone she was doing so. She got into her vehicle, backing out quickly and turning around to drive down the single road that led back to the highway. Another car backed out then too, leaving right after her.

Neither of them knew they had had a witness to their departure. Mike walked out from the side of the Megaship as he continued to look at the road both cars had just driven down. His raised his eyebrow as he took a drag from a cigarette no one knew he smoked. He exhaled slowly, shrugging as he chose to not care about what he had just seen.

_**Meanwhile… **_

Jason sat next to Tommy's bed as he watched him sleep. He had been there for about an hour, leaving Jamie still asleep in a room down the hall. He had originally been disappointed to hear that Tommy had woken and he hadn't been there for it, but he was glad he didn't have to see Tommy the way Hayley did. He had already seen his friend suffer enough. He looked over at the TV for a moment, smirking as he wondered when he had last turned one on. This whole ordeal had taken over his life, making it hard for him to do much of anything else. He refocused his attention back on Tommy, sitting up in his chair. Tommy took a quick breath in as if he had been startled. He moved his head slightly as he began to open his eyes, "Tommy…" Jason greeted as he rested his hand on top of Tommy's, "You're okay, bro."

Tommy blinked a few times, redirecting his eyes onto Jason, "I know..." He replied softly with a small grin, "I must be if you're here."

Jason smiled as relief washed over him. He patted Tommy's arm a few times as the two beamed at each other, "You had me really worried this time, bro."

"I know…" He began again, "I was worried myself."

Tommy continued to watch Jason, his happiness making him feel worse by the minute. He had to tell him… there was no way around it. His best friend had to know that he wasn't going to make it this time.

"Jason, I need you to tell you something."

Tommy's now forlorn expression took the smile right off of Jason's face, "…what is it?"

He looked into Jason's eyes for a moment before shaking his head, "This is temporary."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked again, feeling his nerves come onto him at an accelerated rate.

"I mean… I don't…" Tommy paused again as he looked down at his hand, Jason's still wrapped around it, "I won't be around for much longer, Jase."

Jason let out a disbelieving laugh, "Of course you will! You can't think that way, Tommy… we'll free you from this bond you have with Mesogog, I know it."

"See that's just it…" Tommy started again, deciding to be brutally honest, "There is _no_ way to break this connection Mesogog has created between us… no way that allows me to still live in the end."

Jason's expression changed upon seeing how serious Tommy was, "That's impossible… there is _always _a way…. Always _has_ been a way."

"Not this time." Tommy cut in, "I have to die in order for that tie to be broken… in order for you to destroy Mesogog that has to happen before he can connect to someone else."

Jason's hand practically fell from Tommy's as he grasped the arms of his chair tightly. He kept shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at the floor for a moment, "Jase, I need you to accept this… I need you to be calm and to-"

"Accept this?" Jason looked back up at him with glassy eyes, "How on earth am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to be as calm as you are telling me this?" Jason's anger was coming into play at this point and Tommy knew he was fighting a losing battle, "Tommy, you can't die… I won't let you."

Tommy shook his head as he reluctantly moved back over onto his back. He grimaced as his back met the bed, "There's nothing you can do to stop this… nothing _anyone_ can do."

He looked back over at Jason then, giving him a sympathetic look, "Jase…"

Jason's mouth was ajar, his eyes still glassy and his hands as tight as ever on the arms of his chair, "He will pay for this." Jason said as his eyes met Tommy's, "I will make sure Mesogog never takes another breath, Tommy…"

Tommy continued to look at his best friend, knowing just how terrible he had made Jason feel with his news, "Don't allow your anger to cloud your judgment though, Jase… Jamie is going to need you, remember that."

Jason let out an almost maniacal laugh as Tommy kept his straight face. He hadn't thought of Jamie in the time he had been talking with Tommy, "Jamie…" He said quietly as he shook his head even more, "I can't believe it has come to this."

"I need you take her away from here after you defeat them, Jase."

He looked up at Tommy with a perturbed expression, "What's wrong with Reefside?"

Tommy sighed as he looked away from Jason, "I don't want her to stay here and be flooded with memories that won't do her any good. She'll be better off elsewhere… even Angel Grove."

"What if she doesn't want to leave?"

"Then you make her leave." Tommy replied sternly as he looked back at Jason, "She can't stay here, Jason… I mean it." He grimaced again feeling the pain in his back come and go.

Jason stood then, now looking down at Tommy. Tommy's expression had begun to worry him, "Promise me you'll leave Reefside." He was beginning to get worked up and Jason could see how badly it was making him feel, "Promise me, Jase!" He ordered, raising his voice.

"I promise, Tommy… I promise." Jason's hand met Tommy's shoulder as he gripped it with force, "Calm down, bro… You need to take it easy."

"Yeah…" Tommy said as he let out a deep breath, "I should try and get some more sleep actually." Jason couldn't help but feel guilty for some of Tommy's upset, "I'll go right now, bro." He told Tommy as he began to walk away, "I'll be back though."

Tommy nodded before a thought came to mind, "Can you send Jamie in here in a few hours?"

"Of course." Was all Jason said as Tommy nodded and closed his eyes. Jason looked at Tommy with pure devastation in his face before leaving the room. He stood outside the Med Bay for a few minutes as he collected himself. It was difficult trying to pick apart which emotion he was feeling more. All he knew in that moment was that he wasn't in the mood to see everyone this morning and with that began to walk back to his own room.

As he reached his door, he waited to open it as his mind was pierced with yet another thought of Tommy's fate and how much his life was about to change. His door slid open, a familiar face surprising him and shaking the thought, "Jason! …Hey."

"Kat?" He asked as he walked past her and into his room, "What are you doing in here?"

The door slid shut behind her as she took a few steps toward his bed, "I thought you could use a nice breakfast." She told him as he looked down at the freshly prepared meal she had left on a tray on top of his bed.

He wanted to say thank you but couldn't seem to find any words, "Are you okay?" She could see now how seemingly shaken he was. He reached down and picked up the tray, setting it down on the chair across from them. As he turned around he looked up at her, their eyes meeting as she continued to display her worry for him. He took a few steps toward her, now standing directly in front of her. His right hand met the side of her face as he held onto her cheek. His eyes scanned her face as hers did the same. She reached up and clasped her own hand onto his, the action that prompted Jason to gently hold the other side of her face.

"J-Jason…" She stuttered, feeling her stomach fall to the floor beneath her upon his soft touch.

"Quiet…" He soothed as he looked at her lips. He pulled her face closer to his as he softly kissed her cheek. He continued to kiss her gently, inching his way closer and closer to her mouth. As their lips finally met, she took hold of his arms and returned the gesture.

They would spend the rest of the morning together.

* * *

"I am going to do this, Zeddy. With or without you… and I will do it the first chance I get."

Lord Zedd sat on a rock outside, the crisp air cooling him off as he leaned against the side of the enemy headquarters. He started picking at the Ivy that hung over his shoulder as if he could care less that his wife stood in front of him, clearly angered and on the verge of losing her composure.

Zedd stared at the leaf in his hand, not once looking up into Rita Repulsa's beastly stare, "My dearest Rita… there is nothing I can do to help you… For I don't have the slightest inclination to take on what you're about to do. It's a mistake that will cost us our lives."

"That's your pathetic human talking, I know it!" She blurted fiercely.

"So what if it is?" Zedd replied as he looked back up at her. He stood then, letting the Ivy fall from his hand as he took a few steps toward her, "I am not afraid to say that this man has a few good ideas about life and how it should be lived…" He paused as he allowed her to take in his words, "As I have said, you intolerable, foul bag of bones… I love being among the living again… I love having two legs to walk on even though they are not my own and enjoying the fact that I could really care less about anything else but having these luxuries." He paused as he prepared to finish, his tone becoming deeper, "I will _not_ allow you to take this all away from me, no matter how much your desire to kill him takes over."

Rita's eyes became even narrower than they already were, "…And _I _will not allow you to stand in my way." She proceeded to walk past him as she headed toward the invisaportal nearby. But at that point she stopped, her head turning to her left. From afar you could see both beings of evil with their backs to each other. Rita held her staff with her left hand as Zedd's sat against the wall of the building. It was then that Zedd turned his head to his right, slowing turning around to face her.

"I know what you are thinking, my darling wife… You want me out of your way."

She then turned to face him with the same, spiteful look that had never left her face. She laughed, her infamous cackling causing birds to retreat from their branches as it echoed throughout the area, "And all this time I thought you were so feebleminded."

Zedd looked over at his staff then, the move it took for Rita to lunge at him with her own. He dodged her first swing, quickly running toward his staff. As he grabbed it he thrusted it upward, the metal of both weapons clinging upon impact. He used both arms to push her away from him, giving them both time to reposition and extend their staffs forward at each other.

"Back down, Zeddy… your incompetence is just as present in your fighting as it is in your mentality."

"Those are some big words I didn't think your peanut-sized brain was capable of, dear."

Rita attacked again, grunting loudly as Zedd blocked. The fighting continued, staff against staff, husband against wife, evil against evil. Rita spun around quickly, her staff colliding with Zedd's left shoulder. His staff dropped onto the ground as his body flung toward the side of the building. He grabbed his shoulder as crimson colored blood could now be seen against the silver steel that covered his chest. He was about to pick up his staff once more when the end of Rita's met his neck. He looked up at her as he began to laugh, "Go on then, Rita… what are you waiting for?"

His laughing was making her both uncomfortable and even angrier than she had been. She held the staff to his neck, about to attack again when her mind was taken elsewhere, "_Do not kill him…_ _If anything, get him out of your way temporarily and do whatever it is you need to do… but do not end his life. You will regret it, Rita… you will regret it." _

Zedd laughed even more then, "Is your spirit talking you out of this? …And here I thought you were in control."

"I AM IN CONTROL!" She yelled as she pushed her staff closer to his neck.

"None of us are," He retorted, "We will never truly be in control… but I, for one, have accepted this… the rest of you struggle." He paused as he looked up into her eyes, "So what will it be, Rita?"

She could see how different he was now than how he used to be. He had become weaker, more of a pansy than she could have ever imagined and she realized then that it depressed her to see him that way.

"You have lost your way, Zedd…" She expressed through disappointed eyes, "But I'll make sure you find your way back."

It was then that she hit him as hard as she could against the side of his head. He fell to the muddy ground instantly, now knocked out cold but still alive. She walked straight into the invisaportal this time, rematerializing inside of a hallway in the building. Ignoring her human spirit altogether she made her way toward Mesogog's lab knowing that he more than likely would be there at this time.

As she opened the door, preparing herself for what she was about to do, another being almost collided with her.

"If you're looking for Mesogog… he isn't here." Prince Gasket informed her.

"What?!" She snapped, "Where is he?"

"He simply took off stating he would return but did not indicate when." She pushed him out of her way, walking into Mesogog's lab to see for herself.

"Well that was rather rude." He began again, "What was the intent of your visit anyway?"

As she turned around to see Gasket again she held her staff up and in his direction, "I see…" He replied nervously, "I won't ask again."

"And you'll tell me when he returns." Rita commanded. He shook his head as she left the room. He didn't quite know when he had become bait for the fish, taking orders and following others when he so desperately wanted to regain some sort of ranking title.

"FOOLS… all of them!" He yelled as he pounded his metal fist against one of Mesogog's tables in anger, "I must come up with a plan." He told himself. Things were going to get grim and if Gasket wanted to survive he would have to take some drastic measures to make that happen. He looked back at the door then, thinking about his encounter with Rita. He had never seen the original enemy of the Power Rangers so angry. '…What did she want?'

* * *

Jamie walked into the Med Bay as quickly as she could with her ankle giving her an undesirable limp. Jason watched her go in with a forced smile on his face. It had only been a few hours since he had been in there with Tommy and he was still feeling a mixture of emotions. He wondered just how far his conversation with her would go.

"Be careful with that ankle, Jamie… and go easy on him."

She turned around, grinning and nodding in agreement before the door slid shut.

"Hey…" Tommy greeted, trying not to sound and look as weak as he felt. He turned his head to face her as he smiled; the happiness he was experiencing in seeing her again was a little overwhelming for him. Her smile was even bigger; the young teenager was absolutely elated to see her father again, "How's the ankle?" He asked as he held out his hand motioning for her to come sit up on the bed, "It's okay." She replied quietly before wrapping her arms around his neck a little abruptly. He returned her embrace as best he could, feeling so relieved to have her in his arms again.

"Dad…" She said just above a whisper right next to his ear. He held her as tight as he could, "…I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well here I am." He replied with a tired grin as she raised her head and looked down at him. He proceeded to place his hand on the side of her face. He could see she had been crying earlier and looked like she was about to produce a few more tears. She looked more worried than relieved, "Jamie… I'm fine. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

"But you're not fine…" She replied as she bit her lip. She was repressing her emotions as best she could, "I know you aren't."

His hand moved from her cheek to her upper arm, "Has someone said something to you?" He was wondering where this conversation was going, "There's nothing for you to be worried about, Jamie… I-"

"Tell me the truth, dad… I want it from you." She interjected.

He looked at her in astonishment as he wondered when exactly she had gone from a child to an adult. He pushed himself up a bit in bed as she watched; now knowing how heavy this conversation could become, "Which truth do you want?"

There was a moment of silence as Jamie looked down at her hands, "I want to know how long you have left…"

Tommy let out an incredibly long breath, giving himself a moment before he responded, "…Not long." He told her in a stern and comfortless tone.

She bit her lip again as she nodded her head slowly in understanding, "Look at me." He said as she lifted her head and directed her eyes back over at Tommy. She pulled her left leg up onto the bed as she turned to completely face him, "I'm going say quite a bit right now and I need you to take it in as best as you can… can you do that for me?"

She reluctantly nodded as she watched Tommy take hold of her hand. His eyes never migrated from hers, "I'm saying this because I think you're mature enough to understand…" He paused as he prepared himself for what he was about to say, "But there is no way to undo what they did to me and I wish there were… the last thing I want to do is leave the girl I love the most." Jamie's bottom lip started to quiver as a she continued to hold back her emotion, "I should have told you the truth a long time ago… I just never thought that anything like this could happen again. You should have never had to go through this and for that… I am _so_ sorry."

"It's not your fault, dad…"

"Let me finish," He cut in, "I truthfully don't know how much longer I have… they have to go after Mesogog and soon. I've asked Jason to take you away from here when that happens… somewhere safe where you never have to think about this again."

"I don't want to leave!" She blurted out, "I love it here, dad… my friends are here and it won't even matter where I am after those things are taken down…"

"It isn't up for discussion, Jamie." He started again, his anger rising as he thought of Jeremy Sinclair, "I need to know that you're going to be safe and Reefside just isn't safe anymore."

She didn't understand but knew she couldn't say anything to change Tommy's mind, "Jamie…" He said again as he squeezed her hand even tighter, "I need to know that you're going to listen to Jason… and respect him as you would with me when I am gone."

"I will." She replied softly. She looked completely heartbroken and it was killing him to see her this way.

"I love you so much, Jamie…" He said as he began to choke himself up, "You're literally the best thing that's ever happened to me… I'm extremely fortunate to have such an incredible daughter and I want to make sure you know that."

By now she was crying and didn't care; she could no longer hold it all in, nor did she want to keep trying to. She couldn't believe she was really having this conversation with him. She practically fell onto him as she hugged him again, "I don't want you to go, dad…" She struggled to say as her tears fell onto his pillow.

"I know, baby…" He replied as he tried to soothe her. He rubbed her back as she continued to hold onto him, "I know."

* * *

"It can't be you." Anton said disbelievingly, "I was told you died… that you were in some sort of car crash."

"That was a cover-up." Anton's intruder began, "My father wanted to make sure no one ever came after me so we faked my death."

"Why would someone come after you? You had nothing to do with any of our mishaps."

"You made my father's life miserable, you ruined it and he never did get the vengeance he wanted. But he and I knew that would happen." The intruder smiled then, "That is why I am here now… why I made sure I would be around for this moment. After eight years I have come out of hiding and am going to finish what my father started."

"What is it you want with me?" Anton asked immediately, feeling his life was seriously at stake.

"I want the stone back and you're going to be the one to bring it to me."

"Wait a minute… you want it back?" Anton asked in confusion, "When did you have it to begin with?"

The visitor produced yet another smirk, "You're not the only one that has shared your body with the enemy… My father gave that stone to me before his accident and told me exactly what I could do with it." Anton shook his head not liking where this was going, "The day the Dino Rangers destroyed Mesogog… I was there. I preserved what was left of him, allowing him to feed off of others until the time came to bring him back."

"You killed people to keep Mesogog alive?!" Anton cried, "Why? Why would you spend your life doing that?"

"SHUT UP!" The man yelled back, "I'll tell you why but you interrupt me one more time and I'll be forced to cut out your tongue."

Anton nodded as the man continued, "Because my father was your friend and you turned him into this horrible, cybernetic beast! You _and_ that doctor friend of yours!" His voice raised slightly, "Mesogog is only here because he's going to help me tie up some lose ends."

"You've got it all wrong! That was Mesogog's doing… I never did a thing to hurt your father, neither did Tommy. We loved him like he was our brother-"

"WHAT DID I SAY?" The man yelled again but before he could go on he heard a door close somewhere outside of the office, "Did you invite someone to our little chit-chat, Anton?"

"No… I didn't do-"

"You shouldn't lie to me." The man spoke again just as knocking began on Anton's office door.

"Anton! It's Hayley… Are you okay? Open up!" She continued to knock aggressively as the man on the other side of the door continued to display the most devious of smiles.

"Unlock the door." He quietly commanded Anton, "Unlock it and go back to your desk."

Anton didn't know what else to do. He silently prayed Hayley would make it out of this room safely as he walked over to the door and unlocked it.

Hearing the lock, Hayley opened the door cautiously as she peered in and saw Anton sitting at his desk, "Anton…" She said as she walked in leaving the door ajar, "I got your message… what's going on?"

Suddenly the door behind her swung shut as Anton's visitor came from behind Hayley, grabbing her and pulling her toward him. She gasped as she saw the dagger the person now had at her throat.

"Don't hurt her… Please do what you want with me, just don't hurt her." Anton pleaded, extending his arm to her as he leaned over the desk.

"So you did invite someone…" The man said as Hayley's breathing became rapid, "What did I say about lying to me, Mercer?"

"Who is this, Anton?" Hayley asked as she tried to calm herself down. Before she knew it he had her facing him, "I'll tell you who I am…" He started as Hayley got a good look at him. He was in his late 20's, his pitch black straightened hair hung just under his chin as it parted off-center. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks and his clothes looked like he had pulled them off the street.

"I'm Samuel Lewis Smith… My father was Terrance Smith or 'Smitty' as he liked to be called."

"What is it that you want Samuel?" Hayley asked immediately in a calm voice, now feeling horribly uneasy at the revelation of this man's identity.

"That one has a simple answer, sweetheart. And please... we're all friends here. Just call me Sam." He let out a hearty laugh. But his expression changed so quickly that it truly frightened Hayley and left Anton feeling more uncomfortable than he already was. Samuel's face had become completely still, his seriousness making him look like a mad man. With his stone-cold expression he finished his answer, "I want revenge."

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! You guys have been wonderful and I am grateful to have such loyal readers. I'm happy I can share my love for PR with you all through my tale here… and even happier that you're still enjoying it after all of these years. Thank you all SO much!

With much love and great appreciation, K


	15. Where is My Mind?

**Chapter 15- Where is My Mind? **

_(Two weeks after the Reunion)_

_ They couldn't have picked a better day. It had been beautiful. The sun was shining above me, my friends surrounding me. I was elated just to leave the room I had been in for the last couple of weeks. But everything had changed in an instant. The enemy had attacked. I was falling, my head touching first as I felt the grass prickle the skin of my cheek. I hear yells and I feel hands on me. Suddenly I'm pushed onto my back as my view lands on the cloudless sky above. _

_I remember feeling the first hit and then the second. I remember looking down for a moment and touching the fresh blood that was seeping through my white dress shirt. I could hardly breathe and I knew it would be only minutes until I stopped struggling to do so. _

_He came into my view, he tried to keep me calm and tell me I'd be okay… but I knew I wouldn't. _

_He even knew it himself. _

"_How did this happen?" I hear him yell, "You have to do something!" _

_My eyes shift and I see the man he's yelling at, the man currently applying pressure to my chest with his bare hands, "I can't do anything more for him! He needs to go to a hospital right now if he has any chance of surviving this!" I hear him yell once more, his hands letting up on my chest only to forcefully push again with someone's coat. _

"_He's becoming really pale." I hear someone else say, a woman this time. _

_My face is suddenly enveloped in between his hands, "Tommy… Bro… You keep your eyes on me. Open and on me… you understand?" _

_I feel a smaller hand grasp my own tightly as two more hands grip my thigh and ankle. It's becoming harder and harder to breathe. I keep trying to exhale and the air just keeps building up in my throat. I feel like I am choking as the taste of blood finally hits my palate. _

_This was my moment. The inevitable moment I had been anticipating. _

_What I am sure were minutes felt like seconds laying there. I had never felt so confused in my entire life. I couldn't hold on to their names. I could barely recognize them. All of these people were now standing around me and they were all just indistinguishable blurs of color. _

"_Tommy, this is Carlos… Try and follow my breathing." I couldn't though. I'm not even sure if I was trying. I could taste more blood and could feel my eyelids becoming languid. _

"_Tommy, stay with me. Don't close your eyes… Don't you close them, dammit!" He's holding onto my face again, more tightly this time. _

_I hear more yelling and start to feel the ground shaking before it finally happens. _

_Before I close my eyes and take what may just be my final breath._

**AN:** I like to think of this as a one-shot chapter. This is intentionally short due to my next one being the longest I have written so far. As I finish 16, the chapter I am most excited to share, I hope this little tidbit gets your imagination stirring and gives you excitement for the next installment.

Since 2013 began I have gone back to college full time, I work part-time and have taken up the trumpet again (Have played off and on my entire life). I have also begun participating in an outrigger canoeing team. My life is busy but this story is always on my mind. I thank you for your continued patience. Also... I never knew you could add a photo to your story, something I should have figured out a while ago, but I ended up adding one of "Jamie" holding the stone. I'm a little nerdy, what more can I say? Sincerely, K

Ps. Saz, Gusty and guest… Your words have truly touched me. I'm thrilled that I've been able to deliver the material you all look forward to. Your support means a great deal to me and I promise you… I will never leave this story without giving it a proper ending; no matter how long it takes.


	16. Choices

**AN: **This is my fifth draft of this chapter and I know I'll still make some corrections here and there. This is my longest chapter to date and I'm pretty proud of it!

I put a lot of time and effort into this and I hope you all enjoy how it turned out. Here's a heads up now for the language and violence in this one. Considering my readers seem to be a little older, I doubt it'll be an issue. :-)

**Chapter 16- Choices **

**(Present time) **

"Get up, you old fool." She ordered as she kicked the being on the ground below her.

The being began to stir. He had been knocked out cold and hadn't come to until just now.

"What's going on?" Lord Zedd barked as he began to get up in a disoriented state. He moved slowly as he looked up to see a face he hadn't expected.

"How long have you been out here?" Divatox asked in a condescending tone, "Surely you didn't lose a fight."

"When you fight against your significant other, or at least in my case… your significant _bother_, it makes it difficult to win."

Divatox smiled, "The great Lord Zedd losing to his decrepit hag of a wife."

Zedd laughed, "Is that your best insult? You must not hate her enough." He looked at his injured shoulder, "What is it that you want? You're starting to scare me with that unsightly smile of yours."

She gave him a despising look, "I came out here for some fresh air and stumbled across you. I never thought I'd see you with your face so far in the dirt."

"Yes, well… Rita was a little upset. She had the chance to kill me actually but didn't take it."

"Was it her spirit?"

"Yes, I am sure of it." Zedd replied as he rubbed the spot on his head where Rita had struck him.

"Why would she want to kill you?" Divatox's interest was steadily peaking now.

Zedd looked up at her as he grunted. He didn't want to discuss it but thought about the possibility of obtaining Divatox's help in the matter, "She is planning on going after Mesogog."

"Well if she tried to earlier, he hasn't been around at all since last night. The guy booked it and didn't say a word to anyone other than Gasket."

"That's good… then we still have time."

"I'm sorry… did I just hear you say _we_?"

"Yes, _we…_" Zedd replied irritably, "And the others too if we can. She must be stopped."

"What makes you think that I am willing to-"

"Because you will die if she succeeds." Zedd cut in, "We all will."

"Just because she is foolish enough to attack him does not mean we all will suffer the consequences."

Zedd shook his head in disbelief, "You're willing to give your life over an assumption?"

"He brought us all back… and for what?" She replied taking a few steps closer to him.

"For nothing!" Zedd retorted, "We still don't even know."

"That may be true but I am willing to bet that Mesogog has much more in store for us than he is letting on. If she attacks him, she won't be destroyed. He needs us, I know he does. He wouldn't have brought us all back for nothing."

"Make your bets then but it'll be unwise of you not to join me." He paused as he too took a few steps closer to her, "Prepare yourself now before the time comes when Mesogog's plans for us… turn out to be putting us back in our graves. I'll be happy to see the look on your face when you realize we are just pieces being played in this game of his! At least if we go together to stop her from this suicide attempt of hers, Mesogog will see we are loyal to him!"

Divatox became quiet for a moment as she looked over at the invisaportal and then back at Lord Zedd, "Alright, fine." She told him as she crossed her arms. She knew she should be looking at this from both sides but Zedd's words had pushed her to finally do so. Zedd was right but she wasn't about to admit that. She had to be prepared for the worst despite her stubbornness, "You've made a good point."

"Of course I have!" Zedd snapped, "Your insipidness makes me cringe, you know that?"

"Watch it, Zedd-"

"Or what?" He replied angrily, "Shut that gaping hole of yours and come with me." He picked up his staff then and walked past her into the invisaportal.

She waited a moment before following him back into the enemy headquarters. She formed a slight grin, "Keep on talking woman… I'll continue to ignore you." Her human spirit had been trying to get a word in throughout the conversation with Zedd, "_Please don't let me die." _The spirit begged of her_, "I am too young to die." _

"And I'm too beautiful and important to return to that dreadful spirit world." Divatox paused, her grin becoming bigger, "Don't worry Katie… You and I will be together for a long, long time."

* * *

"What to do with you two… that is the real question, isn't it?" Samuel Smith still stood in the corner of Anton Mercer's office. He had his thumb and index finger wrapped around his chin as he thought about his next move.

"Just let Hayley go and take me." Anton asked for the tenth time as Hayley looked from him to Sam.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mercer. See, I'm thinking it's actually a good thing for me, her walking in here when she did." He took a few steps as he came to stand behind Hayley, "She's pretty, this one… And to think I usually don't care for redheads."

Hayley still sat in the chair on the other side of Anton's desk. She looked as tenacious as ever, not giving into Sam's taunts.

"It's been hours and you still haven't given us your current intentions." Hayley looked to her left as she spoke, not wanting to meet his eyes right above her head, "You just want to hang out in this office the rest of the day? Because I sure don't."

Sam gave them a horrified look, his head whipping around to her left. Hayley moved away instantly. He had come so close to her she could feel his warm breath on her neck, "How can you say such a thing? I'm genuinely enjoying your company." He grabbed her chin with force pulling her face towards his again. His action caused Anton to get up from his chair to come to her defense, "Sit back down." Sam ordered as he pointed at Anton with his free hand. He kept his other on Hayley's face, his eyes never leaving hers. With Anton in the corner of his eye, he waited for the former scientist to sit again before he spoke, "Would you really like to know my intentions? Because I would be more than happy to show you."

He let go of her face in a violent manner, his move imitating Mesogog's when he had done the same to Tommy at the reunion. Samuel stood up straight as he pulled out duct tape from his coat, his dagger still in his other hand, "You will sit there and not make a single move… No matter what happens to him." He told her as he pointed the dagger in her direction, "If you try to help him I will slice your throat and leave you to die here." He paused, the silence being more intimidating than his actual words, "Do you hear me?"

A moment passed before Hayley reluctantly and silently nodded in understanding.

"Good." He replied with yet another smile. He walked around her, his pace becoming slower as he neared Anton's desk.

"Now… allow me to do as I please, Mercer… Or you will watch me follow through with those words."

"What do you plan on-"

"Every time you open that mouth of yours…" Sam cut him off as he immediately came around the back of Anton and brought the dagger up to his neck, "You bring me one step closer to making sure you never speak again." He paused as he took a calming breath, his hand still steady with the blade on the skin of Anton's throat, "As I was saying… I need you to agree you will do as I tell you to from this point on. Take some lessons from her and just tell me you understand with a quiet nod."

Hayley looked at Anton with immense worry. She watched him nod in silence as he gave Sam a glare of pure hatred. His face was so red and full of anger he looked like he was about to completely lose it.

"Fantastic." Sam stated bluntly as he stood up again. He took the duct tape out and began to wrap Anton's wrists to the arms of his office chair. He hummed to himself happily as he finished the second wrist. 'Don't worry.' Anton silently mouthed to Hayley seeing how anxious and fearful she looked.

"Now!" Sam exclaimed as he clapped once in excitement, "Onto the best part."

He picked up his dagger again as he walked back around Anton and stopped at the side of his desk. He leaned against the wall as his index finger met the tip of the blade. He stared at the dagger with a dazed look in his eyes before he began to speak again, "Listen carefully Hayley because I don't particularly enjoy repeating myself." He paused as he looked up at her, pleased to see he had her full attention, "You're going to pretend I'm your relative… your cousin or half brother perhaps and you're going to tell the others that as you bring me aboard the Mega Ship."

"Why would I do that?" Hayley objected.

"Because I must have that stone back."

'Back?' Hayley thought as a revelation dawned on her.

Sam produced a grin, "Did you just put two and two together? _My God_, are you smart."

"You don't need him, Sam…" Hayley spoke sternly, "Mesogog isn't a being you want to be attached to."

"Oh, but I do need him!" Sam said as he began to walk around her, "I saved him and he saved me. I needed his knowledge to get to this point… to be able to put this plan in action after all of these years. I kept him alive and in return he is helping me end the lives that took my father's."

"You do not want to go down this road… believe me." Anton spoke softly but firmly, "You don't want to share your body with him, Samuel. He will destroy every part of you."

Sam looked at Anton in shock as he shook his head quickly in confusion, "I thought…" He began with a snicker, extending his dagger toward Anton from across the room, "I told you not to say another word?"

They were both quiet as Sam continued to stand there with his dagger extended. His eyes migrated from Anton to Hayley as he slowly dropped his arm. He stared at her for a moment before looking down at the empty seat next to Hayley's. Hayley moved further back in her chair as Sam took a seat next to her. He looked up at her as his elbows met his thighs.

His eyes narrowed as his left eyebrow rose. It looked like he was forcing a smile onto his face. He leaned back in the chair as his nostrils began to flare, "You _will_ take me to the Mega Ship." He began again, looking directly into Hayley's eyes, "In three minutes we will leave this office. I'm sure you'll be upset and feeling reluctant to leave, but you will do it… you won't have a choice." He paused as he lazily pointed the dagger back at Anton using just his wrist, "He'll stay here and you'll be able to come back for him once you have helped me retrieve what is mine."

"I have a choice." Hayley emphasized, her anger starting to rise, "I _always _have a choice..."

"Tommy didn't have a choice." Sam answered quickly with a malevolent smile. A smile that only grew upon seeing the detestable look Hayley returned in response.

"You son of a bitch." Anton swore under his breath.

Sam sprung from his chair, "What was that, Mercer?" He asked as he raised his hand to his ear, "I didn't quite hear you." He practically jumped onto the other side of Anton's desk as he pulled out the duct tape again. Sam's right hand met the top of Anton's head as he forced it to sway from side to side, "No… more… words… from… you." He spoke again, a single word being said with each movement of Anton's head. Sam forcefully pulled Anton back then as he placed a thick piece of duct tape over his mouth. He then abruptly threw the duct tape across the room as he fell against a painting on the wall behind Anton's desk. He was starting to become completely unhinged, his hands meeting the sides of his temple as he rubbed gently and closed his eyes, "No more words from you." He repeated quietly.

Hayley had no idea what to say, she could feel the terror stirring up within her. She had never been confronted by anyone so sinister in her life. He was a loose cannon, totally unpredictable and Hayley had no defense against him.

His eyes popped open then, as he looked down at his watch in upset, "Damn it, I told you that we would be leaving in three minutes… that is terribly rude of me just taking my sweet time like that." He looked up at her; his eyes making Hayley feel like her heart had stopped beating, "This will just take a moment, Hayley… I promise."

"What are you-" Her words became caught in the gasping cry she expelled upon witnessing the scene before her. She sprang from her chair into a still, standing position as her hands covered her mouth.

The end of Samuel's dagger met Anton's left thigh in a dead center shot. He yelled out in pain, his suppressed cries causing Hayley to go into a state of shock.

Sam was completely relaxed, his hands now at both sides of his waist as he examined Anton's thigh, "How long do you suppose it will take for him to bleed out?" He calmly asked, "Thirty minutes? …An hour?"

Breathing extremely heavy now, Hayley removed her hands from her mouth as she looked from Anton to Samuel, "Why are you doing this?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Times-a-tickin'…" Sam replied as he looked from his watch to Anton, "The sooner I get my stone back, the sooner you can get this poor man some help."

Hayley's bottom lip quivered, she was so distraught she didn't know how to respond. Sam proceeded to retrieve his dagger, pulling the six-inch blade out of Anton's thigh firmly and effortlessly. Anton yelled out again as his face hardened, "Now he _really_ doesn't have a lot of time left until he bleeds out," Sam began again in a tantalizing tone, "Let's take our leave now, shall we?"

Hayley looked from him to Anton, "I'll come back… I promise you I'll come back." She tried to sound as hopeful as possible, "Just relax, Anton… everything will be okay." His head hung low as his back slumped over. His deep moans continued to come, as he gave no response to Hayley's words. Sam pointed his dagger at her again, blood dripping from the tip of the blade onto the teal colored carpet, as he motioned for her to leave the room first. She looked from him, to the dagger and finally back at Anton before unlocking the door and taking her leave.

"It's been an absolute pleasure, my friend!" Sam expressed happily. Anton looked up at him just in time to see him salute, "Take care of yourself, Mercer." He finished with a grin before he shut the door behind him.

As Samuel and Hayley walked through the exhibit at a quick pace, another being watched them leave. He had been standing near the office door, trying to hear what had been going on inside. He had immediately run to the side of the office, flattening his back against the wall the moment he heard the door unlock. The two that had just left the office walking extremely fast and as they neared the exit of the museum, the man took off after them. As he reached the door, Hayley could be seen driving away, her mysterious companion in the passenger's seat along side her. He turned around as his view returned to the exhibit in front of him. He wondered what was going on before suddenly feeling a sense of urgency come onto him. He looked directly ahead of him before running back to the office he knew the two had just been in. Upon reaching the door he felt his heart begin to race. He could see drops of blood on the linoleum.

He opened the door, immediately taken aback by the scene, "Dad!" Trent yelled as he reached his father's side. He began taking the duct tape off of Anton's right wrist before stopping altogether at the sight of Anton's thigh. He stared in shock, not expecting to see such an injury. Trent had never seen so much blood in his life, the crimson pool beneath Anton's chair rendering him speechless. A second later he was back to taking the tape off, constantly telling his father not to worry. Trent pulled the tape from his father's face last, "Are you okay?" He asked as Anton produced rapid and heavy breaths. His face was covered in sweat by now.

"You have to leave me, Trent…"

"What?" Trent objected, "No… I'm going to take you to hospital right now." His tone was serious yet still as calm as it always was.

"That man…" Anton said, ignoring his son's words altogether, "Is extremely dangerous. He's forcing Hayley to take him to the Megaship so he can get the stone." Anton paused to take in a few more breaths as Trent placed his hand on his father's back.

"Why? ….Who is he?" Trent asked, a million questions coming to mind.

"He's the one responsible for everything, Trent… For Mesogog and the others… for Tommy's ordeal… for the stone." Anton paused again, as he realized something he should have thought of a long time ago.

"What is it, dad?" Trent continued to listen, as he remained bent down next to Anton. He could see something had just come onto his father's mind.

"I knew it had been too easy…" Anton began, "About a month ago Tommy picked up a powerful reading from his computer. A reading so powerful… he couldn't believe it really existed. He called me over that day and told me he had found something. The Dolmen Stone had just… appeared. Like it had found its way to Tommy on its own. We thought it had been destroyed." He looked at Trent then as he took in a breath before finishing, "That man placed the stone in the forest near Tommy's house. He knew Tommy would find it… He knew he would call me with the news of its discovery. He wanted us to know it was safe… that nothing bad could come from it… Samuel really did plan this all out."

"Samuel being that guy that was just in here?" Anton nodded before Trent continued, "Why would he want the stone if he left it for you guys to find?"

"Because he likes to play games. He took the stone back a week before Tommy's disappearance and is sharing himself with Mesogog as I did. He was brought up by an incredible scientist so I'm sure he knows more than I give him credit for." Anton took in a few more breaths, grimacing at the pain in his thigh, "All I know for sure is without that stone in his possession, his existence and this entire scheme he has started is in jeopardy."

Anton grunted as the pain began to worsen. More sweat began to form on his face, "You need… to go after them, Trent. There is no telling what he'll do when they… reach the ship."

"I won't leave you… there is nothing you can say to get me to leave here without you so don't even try."

"There isn't any time for me!" Anton finally yelled, "I'm telling you Trent, you have to go after them right now!"

"I'll call Conner… I'll give them a heads up but the only thing _I'm_ going to be doing is taking you to the hospital, dad." He proceeded to try and lift his father out of the chair but was pushed away by Anton.

"Get out of here, _right now_." Anton ordered as he pointed to the door.

Trent Mercer, always the calmest and soft-spoken of his friends couldn't hold back his anger at this point, "Do you think this is what Dr. O would want? …For me to leave one of his best friends here to die?" He asked, his voice steadily rising, "Do you think this is what your son wants? To leave his father here to die?"

Trent waited a moment as he watched his father bend over on his desk placing one hand onto it to hold himself up as the other applied pressure to his thigh, "He's walking onto a ship full of Power Rangers. I'm not all that worried about them… however I am worried about you." Trent took a few steps back toward his father, "Let's go, dad… I'll call Conner on the way to the hospital."

"Hand me that rag over there…" Anton replied as he pointed to the piece of cloth sitting on top of his file cabinet across the room.

Trent got up and retrieved the rag, quickly handing it to Anton. He watched as his father applied pressure to his thigh with it, grimacing upon contact.

Anton then looked up at him again and nodded. He knew he was in bad shape but also knew he needed to trust his son's judgment, "Fair enough." He replied in a defeated tone as Trent helped him out of his chair. He silently hoped no one else would come in between Samuel and the destructive path he was commencing.

The Ranger community had already suffered enough.

* * *

"Have any of you spoken to Kim?"

Adam's question hung out in the air for a moment as the group of four sat and ate lunch in the Mega Ship kitchen.

"I've been trying to." Kat replied, "I know Tanya has too." She added as Tanya nodded, "It's like she's in another world."

"She hasn't been in to see him, not even once since he woke up." Rocky added just before taking another bite of his sandwich, "All of us have been in there by now."

"It's a different story for her though, Rocky… Her and Tommy were together for a long time. They haven't spoken to each other in years." The three of them looked up at Kat as she finished, "She just needs more time, I'm sure."

"Yeah, but how much time does _he_ have?" Rocky spoke again before redirecting his attention onto his phone. It kept vibrating on the kitchen table. He sighed as the others looked at him, "Sorry… it's my ex-wife. She keeps asking me when I'm coming back."

"You should give her some partial truth at least." Adam suggested, knowing that Rocky had been pretty much ignoring his ex-wife's calls and texts, "Your friend is very sick and you want to be there for him. She's got to understand."

"She doesn't have a heart, Adam… She's a demon woman."

The girls laughed at Rocky's comment, "She can't be _that_ bad, Rocky." Tanya replied.

"You have _no _idea." Rocky answered with his mouth full as he rolled his eyes.

The door opened then as the group looked over at their new visitor.

"Hey Jamie." Kat greeted as the young Oliver walked over to the counter and grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets above her.

"Hi." She said in a soft tone as she poured herself some juice. She had one ear bud of her headphones in.

"You can come join us if you'd like." Adam proposed.

"Yeah, we have plenty of room at the table." Tanya added.

"I've also got playing cards here too if you're interested." Rocky chimed in.

"Thank you… But I can't." Jamie replied, knowing that they were trying to provide her with some distraction. She looked down at her juice before shaking her head gently, "Maybe some other time." Without making any eye contact, she placed her other ear bud in before turning around and leaving the room.

"I can't imagine what that girl is going through." Tanya spoke once more, "The poor thing has had such a tough time in this world."

"Yeah… It's hard enough being a foster child but having to lose your only guardian the way she is on top of it..." As Kat finished she set her fork down and produced a look that told the rest of them something had just dawned on her.

"What is it, Kat?" Adam asked, noticing first across the table from her.

"That news broadcast." She simply stated.

"What about it?" Rocky inquired as he too stopped eating and gave Kat his full attention.

"The last man mentioned… the murderer." She started again, "He was in Reefside."

The three of them still weren't seeing where she was going with this.

"What are you saying, Kat?" Tanya asked as she placed her hand on Kat's shoulder.

"He was looking for his adopted daughter." Kat finished in a quiet tone.

"There's no way…" Rocky stated immediately, "That's too much of a coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidences." Kat replied as she looked back down at her food.

"Do you think Tommy or Jason know about this?" Adam asked.

"I'm sure Jason knows…" Rocky replied, "But if Tommy knew about it, I don't think he would have been as happy as he was when we all saw him."

Kat looked behind her at the door Jamie had just left through, "…That poor girl." She said just above a whisper as she shook her head.

Tanya rubbed her arm as the four of them quieted. Things were getting harder instead of easier. They were being dealt more cards than they could hold and didn't know how much longer they could stay in the game. They all had one thought on their minds as they continued to sit at the table together in silence…

'How would this end?'

* * *

Jason sat on the edge of his bed with his arms folded in his lap. He stared at the floor for a few minutes just trying to wrap his mind around the events over the last few weeks. He looked over at his clock seeing that it was already after three in the afternoon.

He had fallen asleep soon after Kat had left just a couple of hours earlier. He hadn't slept well though and felt more tired than he had earlier. It was the day's events that had him feeling absolutely terrible. Learning his best friend was going to die and sometime soon had him in this spiritless state. He couldn't focus. He wasn't thinking about Mesogog and the other villains… he didn't want to visit with his friends of over a decade… he wasn't considering the fact that he would become a father sometime soon… he was only thinking of Tommy.

He wondered when it would happen and how. He wondered how he would feel when Tommy's time finally came. Jason's father had died a number of years ago from a stroke, which had been extremely difficult for him and he hadn't spoken to his mother since Tara had died. He lost contact with a lot of people after that had happened, her death causing him to become extremely reclusive. It wasn't until he moved back to Angel Grove and reconnected with Tommy that he started to come out of his shell again. Tommy had always had a way of lifting the spirits of those around him, especially Jason's.

He wondered if Tommy's death would be harder on him than the others in his life. He shook his head then as his hands met the back of his neck, "I can't believe this." He said softly as he got up from his bed and started to pace. He realized he didn't have to wonder, he already knew losing Tommy Oliver would be a significant event in his life. Jason had no siblings and Tommy was the closest he had to a brother.

He walked over to the window as he wrapped his hands behind the back of his head. He stared blankly through it at the tall, deep green trees of the forest. It was overcast but the sun could be seen in patches along the grass around the Mega Ship. His eyes then caught the back of a man's head. As Jason dropped his arms and moved closer to the glass, he looked down at the man and could see who it was. Mike sat on the grass under the shade of the ship as a cigarette hung from his lips. Jason watched him for a few minutes before his eyes fell to the floor. He closed them as he shook his head in silence. He didn't know which stage of grief Mike was in but as he thought about it he wondered the same about himself. He turned away from the window and walked over to his suitcase on the floor by his bed. He slipped on a plain back shirt before sitting back on the bed to put on his shoes. 'I better see him as much as I can.' He thought before heading for the door.

He made a left as his bedroom door slid shut behind him. He walked at a moderate pace with his hands in his pockets as he stared at the tiled floor. It wasn't a long walk to the Med Bay from his room. As he passed the auditorium he could hear laughter and the sounds of his friends reminiscing. He looked at the door as he walked by wondering if he should join them but the thought was quickly shot down. He took a few more steps cutting around a corner to his right before reaching the Med Bay. He looked up at the door and reached for the button to allow it to open but was interrupted.

"Jason."

He looked to his right as he slowly lowered his arm. Kimberly sat on the floor with her back against the wall a few feet away from him.

"Hey." Jason greeted in a soft tone, "What are you doing down there?"

"Nothing." She replied flatly, as she looked from him to the wall across from her, "Just contemplating why life can be so absolutely cruel."

Without responding, Jason walked over to her and sat down beside her. She looked up at him as he sat. He let out a small sigh, "You still haven't been in there since he woke up, have you?"

"No," She began in a disappointed tone, "I just can't bring myself to do it."

There was a moment of silence before Jason spoke again, "If I were to tell you that he died yesterday, how would you feel?"

She looked up at him with a surprised expression, "What do you mean? That didn't happen, did it?"

"How would you feel?" He asked her again, looking directly into her eyes.

Her mouth hung open as her eyes circled, she looked like she wanted to say more but instead quieted and looked away from him.

"He died yesterday and you never got the chance to say anything more to him." Jason began again in a harsh tone, "He died and you chose to be a coward... What if he died unhappy because he couldn't see you again and knew you were here? How do you think he felt knowing you were able to walk in that room at any time and chose not to?"

She was already holding back tears, he could see it, "He died and you didn't give him closure… you denied yourself closure."

"Why do you keep saying that?" She blurted out, "He's still alive… he's in that room right now."

"Then why aren't you in there too?" Jason was being hard on her, he knew that, but he also knew he had to be. He cared about her and didn't want her to live with regret. She had this opportunity and needed to take it. After a moment with no response he spoke again, "Listen to me, Kim…" He started as she continued to look at the floor in front of her, "He's going to die sometime soon and the worst part of it is the fact that none of us know when or how. You have to go in there right now and talk to him before you've lost the chance to do it. For him and for you."

"What am I going to say?" She asked him quietly.

"Whatever needs to be said." At that point she looked back up at him, her lip starting to quiver. Her expression told him that she had truly listened and understood. She pulled herself onto her knees before wrapping her arms around him, a gesture he wasn't expecting. As he returned her embrace she pulled away slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." She told him before she stood up. He too began to stand as he saw her slowly walk over to the door. She entered the Med Bay at that moment with Jason's eyes still on her. He didn't feel relieved or happy to see her go in… he felt worse and didn't understand why.

With his plans to see Tommy no longer available to him he began to walk back in the direction he had come from. All he felt like having was some fresh air at this point. He was almost to the entrance of the Mega Ship when he heard his name being called.

"Jason!" Conner said again as he ran up to him, "Have you seen Hayley or Trent?"

"No," Jason replied feeling a little anxious now, "Why?"

"Hayley left the auditorium this morning and Trent left just after her. Neither one of them have been seen since then… She said she was coming right back."

"How long ago was that?" Jason asked, "Have you given her a call or checked to see if her car is still here?"

"Her phone is going straight to voicemail and her car isn't here. Trent's just keeps ringing and his car is gone too. Jason, it's been hours, this isn't like either of them."

His anxiety was peeking now causing him to take in a deep breath. He looked down at his watch and then back up at Conner, "Inform just your team for now. We'll wait another half an hour before going out to look for them."

Conner was disappointed but he knew better than to show it in front of Jason. He was extremely eager to leave on a search for them, "Alright… I'll keep trying Trent too."

"Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Conner." Jason said as he hit the button to open the main entrance door.

"Yeah." Conner replied as he watched Jason leave. His peeved expression came once his eyes met Jason's back.

Jason walked out onto the grass, squinting his eyes as the sun met his face. He brought his hand up to his forehead to block off some of the sun as he made his way over to the side of the Mega Ship.

Jason walked at a calm and easy pace. He inhaled the fresh air deeply into his lungs as he enjoyed feeling the warmth of the sun that had finally come out of hiding. Mike spotted him pretty quickly, standing up as Jason neared him.

Mike took a drag of his cigarette and began to speak upon exhaling, "Something I can do for you, boss?"

With the corner of his mouth slightly risen and his eyes still squinted Jason replied, "Yeah, actually… Was hoping I could join you for a few minutes, if you don't mind." Jason knew he was taking a big chance with this, unsure of how Mike was going to treat him.

Mike looked at him for a moment before giving a slight nod of acceptance, "Why not."

As the two sat, Mike pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, "You want one?"

Jason thought about it for a few seconds noting how enticing it looked at this point, "Uh… yeah… I guess I would."

He took one from Mike's pack and brought it up to his lips. Mike lit the end of it up for Jason before lighting his own. Jason inhaled and coughed instantly.

"Small drags." Mike said, "You've never smoked before, have you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Jason asked, looking down at the cigarette like it was some foreign object.

Mike produced a smirk, "Just enjoy it as much as you can… that's all you can do for now."

Jason nodded slightly as he looked ahead of him at the trees. Mike was focused in the same direction, both of them sitting there in silence.

'This really is all I can do right now.' Jason thought to himself, 'I can just sit here, enjoy my surroundings and smoke this without having a care in the world.' His mind felt clearer in that moment than it had in years.

If only they both knew how soon their tranquil state would turn into turmoil.

* * *

It is often times easier to accept death when you know that it is coming. You're given time to process the fact that someone close to you is going to leave you and never be seen again. It also allows you to accept that the extra time you've been given with them is precious and that not everyone is as fortunate. Jamie was glad she knew the truth but it didn't make it any easier for her. It depressed her now every time she went in to visit with Tommy. She lay on her bed with her headphones in as she shuffled through her mp3 player. She would become dissatisfied after the first fifteen seconds of each song and would change it immediately.

'Why can't I find one decent song to listen to right now?' She asked herself as her head fell back onto her pillow. She was just hitting next now without looking.

Usually listening to music was an escape route for her but right now it wasn't distracting her like she had expected it to. She felt uninterested in just about everything and kept thinking of how her life tended to take such drastic turns. As if watching your mother die at the hands of your father wasn't terrible enough. She couldn't believe she was having to lose the one person that kept her feeling alive. Tommy was her father, her friend and her mentor. He meant everything to her, especially now that his past had been revealed to her. How he had ever crossed paths with Jamie was beyond her but she found herself thinking more and more that his presence in her life wasn't coincidental.

It's amazing how the unknown can change your once solid perspectives into a whirlwind of uncertainty.

She was starting to become lost in her thoughts before her head popped up at the sound of her door opening.

"Sorry to barge in. I knocked like four times…"

"It's okay." She said as she pulled her headphones out and sat up on the bed. She hadn't realized she had had her volume up so high.

Ethan took a seat across from her on the spare bed, "I have some good news and some bad news on your phone. Which do you want first?"

"I could use some good news." Jamie replied after a moment.

"Alright, well I got all of the data off of it. It's all right here on this CD." He pulled it out of his inside jacket pocket and handed it to her, "As for the phone itself… and this is the bad news… It was damaged too much to repair, you'll have to get a new one."

It was as if Jamie hadn't been listening to the second half of that, "It's all here? Photos and videos… all on this CD?" She asked as she looked at it.

"Yeah, everything… I made sure of it."

She looked up then, getting off of the bed to walk over to him, "Thank you so much, Ethan." She told him as she hugged him, the CD still in her hand.

"Don't mention it." He replied with a smile as he hugged her back.

He got up and walked over to the door as Jamie looked down at the CD once more, "Jamie," He said as she looked up at him again, "We're all going to look after each other through this... you're part of the Ranger family now, you know that right?"

She grinned, his words bringing a small piece of joy back into her, "I think I always have been."

* * *

"How close are we, red?"

Hayley continued to look ahead of her, producing no response as she drove en route to the Mega Ship.

"Ah, come on, Hayley… you can't be _that_ mad at me, can you? I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to save dear old Anton."

He watched as she bit her lip, the redness in her face hadn't left her since seeing Samuel stab Anton, "I would reply, miss Ziktor… I absolutely despise being ignored." Sam had his arm hanging out of her window, just as relaxed as can be, "Now please tell me… how close are we?"

She again didn't reply, her resilience beginning to anger Samuel, "Fine… If you won't reply to me, maybe you'll reply to him."

She had no idea what that meant but within seconds she found out. She gasped as green light almost blinded her. She swerved, unable to focus as the light filled the car for a good ten seconds. Once it dissipated she was finally able to see what exactly Samuel had done. As she continued to drive, she looked to her right quickly, the sight making her almost lose control of the vehicle again. Samuel no longer sat in the passenger seat, it was now occupied by Mesogog.

"I can change whenever I please." Mesogog said as he looked ahead at the road.

"I don't understand." Hayley replied immediately, "Are you still Sam or are you Mesogog?"

She had to admit, the sudden change in character had her feeling extremely on edge.

"I am whoever I want to be."

The tone was clearly Mesogog's but the words seemed to be Sam, "If I want to allow him to speak through me, I can at any time."

"So you're dominantly, Samuel?"

"Yes, red…. Correct again."

"Noooow… Tell me how close we areeee."

'Well, that's definitely Mesogog.' She thought before deciding to give him an answer, "Ten minutes."

"Goooood."

'What am I going to tell them?' Hayley thought, trying to ignore the nerves pulsating throughout her body.

"Gosh, I always do feel more comfortable in this body. It's such a shame the personality comes with it. You have no idea what a downer Mesogog can be."

Hayley noted then that not only was Sam successful in making his enemies feel uncomfortable, he was also equally as amused with the fact that he was capable of doing so.

"This is going to be a fantastic little get-together, Hayley. Thank you for inviting me."

Hayley once again didn't respond, "You're supposed to say you're welcome." Sam spoke again.

"Saaaaaay it." She was told again a minute later.

Hayley was seriously starting to become creeped out by the constant change of personality, "You're welcome." She replied quietly.

"If I wasn't in this form you'd see a smile on my face." Sam told her in a pleasant tone, "I'll change back before we get there…. I'm sure you're already missing me."

Hayley rolled her eyes as she straightened herself in her seat and tried to focus on the road. Soon they would arrive at the Mega Ship and there was no telling how much trouble her companion was about to stir up.

She just had to hope the others would see through his act.

* * *

Kimberly walked into the Med Bay feeling like she left her stomach back out in the hall with Jason. With her arms crossed, she took a few more steps into the lighter part of the room. Carlos stood next to Tommy's bed checking a monitor and jotting down a couple of notes.

"Oh, hey." He said, turning away from the computer, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Hi, Carlos." Kimberly greeted with a grin, "How is he today?"

"Better. He's in a lot less pain, that's for sure."

"That's good to hear." She replied as her gaze fell onto Tommy.

He looked over at her, "Let me know if either of you need anything. I'll be having dinner with the others in the auditorium."

She nodded, looking back at Carlos. He grinned before taking his leave, his expression telling her that he was happy to see her back in Tommy's room.

Kimberly slowly walked over to the chair closest to Tommy's bed. She pulled all of her hair over to one side of her neck as she took a seat. He was asleep with his casted arm still resting on his stomach. She felt different this time, being in there with him again. She felt more uncertain and anxious than she ever had. 'What will he say?' She thought as she covered her mouth with her fist. She continued to sit there and think of different scenarios, some of rejection and others of acceptance. She didn't know how Tommy would react to her being there after having not seen each other in over sixteen years. Not to mention what little time they had had together then. They hadn't said much of anything to each other after the whole incident with Maligore. The two had simply been happy to see each other alive and well after that Divatox-initiated disaster. She had wanted to say more back then but the pain had still been evident in his eyes. 'Would it still be there?' She thought. 'Surely he's had better relationships since then.'

She pulled her legs up into her, holding them as she rested her chin between her knees. Her eyes momentarily fell onto the IV that was still in Tommy's arm. As she stared at it she found herself wondering how life could choose someone like Tommy to endure as much as he had.

Most people had no real concept of the finality of death, so they went about their lives thinking there would always be tomorrow. But Tommy had been on death's doorstep one too many times, the relentless struggle pushing him, testing him and shaping him into the courageous man he was today. There was never a day in his life after he became a Ranger that he didn't make the most of and everyone who was close to him knew that.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice."

Her eyes shot back down at Tommy, his now open and on her.

"Hey." She replied a little timidly as she let her legs down and sat on the edge of her chair, "I uh… I thought I would come see how you were doing."

"Oh, I'm alright." He replied softly as he sat up some, "Still feeling like a Zord has stepped on me but otherwise feeling fine."

She grinned, "…I'm happy to hear that." The two looked at each other before Kim's eyes retreated to her wringing hands, "To be perfectly honest, Tommy… I didn't know if I should come in here. I can leave if you-"

"I'm glad you did."

She looked back up at him before he continued, "Despite our past, Kim… you're someone I have cared about from the day I met you. All of us on this ship shared something incredibly special together and the bond we all formed will never be broken. I wanted to see you, Kim… you're one of greatest friends."

She was smiling yet trying to hold back her emotions. There was a glimmer in her eyes that told Tommy she was both relieved and elated to know that Tommy held no hard feelings toward her. He was just at the point though where he wanted to leave everything behind on a good note. He wanted to die feeling at peace with how he left his life.

She reached up with her right arm and took hold of his wrist, "You have always managed to surprise me, Tommy. That heart of yours is too good."

With a small grin on his face he turned his arm over and took hold of Kim's hand.

The two looked from their hands and up at each other as the room enveloped them in silence.

_**MEANWHILE… **_

"I just want to talk to you… you know like actually have a real conversation."

Andros stood across from his sister in the kitchen. She had finally retreated from her bedroom to eat some dinner and Andros had seen her come in.

"I just want to eat my meal in peace, Andros." She told him as she poured herself a glass of water.

He was leaning against the counter as she walked past him and sat down at the table with a small salad and piece of plain toast. He followed behind her, sitting down to join her without her permission. He sat across from her with his elbows on the table, "That's all your going to eat?" He asked with concern and got no response. He knew she hadn't eaten a thing all day. She instead continued to look down at her food as she mixed the dressing and croutons with the lettuce.

"You can't keep ignoring me, Karone… I can't stand fighting with you either. Please, just talk to me."

"What did you want to discuss, Andros?" She began in a fierce yet quiet tone, "…Are you going to justify how you allowed me to walk into the reunion with no warning? …Or maybe that it was okay for you to not tell me our enemy had returned… that you were back in action?"

Andros looked at her for a long while before he fell back into his chair and his eyes veered off to the right of him. "I should have called you… warned you… and I'm sorry I didn't." He replied as he crossed his arms and shook his head, "I honestly think it was the rush of being back in that suit that drove me to go after Tommy on my own too. He really needed help and I had no time to get everyone else involved. I was on my own for so long before I met the others too… I thought I would be okay."

"After _everything_…" She began, her tone starting to rise as her eyes met his, "Everything we have been through together… everything your team has gone through with you, you just decide to fly solo. Do you realize how senseless that was?" Andros tried to cut in but she continued on, "Cassie and T.J. told me everything so I know Jason asked you to keep this all quiet but I'm your sister, Andros! Your sister…"

"I know… I know." He replied as he tried to keep his voice calm, "Karone, you're the first person I should have come to… I never…" He paused as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. He shook his head as he waited for her to look up at him, "Look… I never should have allowed you to walk into that scene. I know how devastating that was for you… you knew Leo much better than I did. But know that I lost control over this situation a long time ago… I tried to make everything right and I never intended to hurt you or anyone else… I was caught up in the moment, Karone, that's all… please… forgive me."

She had stopped eating, bending over the table as she pulled her hands away from him and crossed her arms. She too shook her head before looking up at him, "That wasn't okay, Andros." She told him with deep disappointment in her tone. Her eyes were wet and Andros could see the bags under them in the light. She had been crying for a very long time. "It wasn't okay walking into that auditorium… seeing him laying there… you just…" She paused, shaking her head again, as her voice began to crack, "You should have called!" He felt like she could see right through him as she continued to look at him with intense eyes. Before he knew it she was breaking down in front of him, her hands covering her face as she sobbed into them.

"Karone…" He spoke softly as he got up and walked around to her. He placed his arm around her as he pulled her into him, "It's not fair…" Karone cried, her tone that of despair, "Leo was one of the good ones… he was good."

"Yes… he was." Andros soothed. He continued to hold her as she mumbled into his chest, "Andros we have to do something… promise me we'll get them for this… his… his death… it can't be for nothing."

He looked down at her, using his index finger to pull her chin up. Once he had made eye contact with her he quietly but sternly responded, "We _will_ get them for this… even if it's the last promise I ever make."

**(Ten Minutes Later Outside the Mega Ship) **

"I can see how this can become a habit." Jason commented, breaking the silence as he looked at the cigarette he almost had finished in his hand.

Mike glanced at him before looking down at his own nearly finished cigarette. Jason had put his out by now but Mike had lit up a second. Upon taking a moment then to really look at Mike, Jason could see just how much he was suffering. His eyes were blood shot, his face as greasy as his hair and the look of hopelessness in his expression was making Jason feel worse by the minute. He knew Mike was trying to put up a front to distract others from the incredible pain he was dealing with underneath the surface. He was like a wounded animal, isolating himself while trying to heal and even though Jason could relate, he also knew it was best to not bring anything up.

"It had been a year since I quit smoking…" Mike replied, "I picked up this pack right after I left the auditorium that day."

Jason didn't know what to say and before he could think of a response he heard a car pull up on the other side of the Mega Ship. Mike looked up at him as he started to walk over to the other side, "Sorry, man… excuse me for a second." Jason turned around to say. Mike didn't respond as he took another drag and looked ahead of him.

Jason watched curiously as Hayley got out of her car, her passenger door opening to reveal someone he didn't recognize. Hayley looked over at the man as if she was waiting for an okay to go on ahead of him. He stood at the end of the ramp that led into the Mega Ship as he watched them walk over.

"Hayley…" Jason greeted, sounding a little concerned, "Where have you been?" He asked as he scanned the tall, slender gentleman next to her from head to toe.

"Jason! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you in person. I've heard a great deal about you from Hayley." The stranger replied first, extending his hand out to Jason, "All good I assure you. "

Jason shook the man's hand as a slight grin came onto his face, "Who is this guy?" He asked again, looking over at Hayley.

"This is Sam." She replied quickly, "He's my cousin."

Jason gave her an inquisitive look before looking back at Sam, "Well, good to meet you then, man… Uh, no offense Sam…" Jason paused as he looked back over at Hayley, "Why did you bring him here? …This is a _restricted_ area, Hayley."

"Oh, Jason…" Sam cut in before Hayley could respond, "I know who you are… what you used to be. I was visiting years ago when I discovered Hayley's doctor friend was a Power Ranger. It was an accident and I don't think he was too happy that I found out… Regardless, I promise you your secret is safe with me."

Jason momentarily wondered why Tommy had never mentioned this guy and also found it strange that he never knew Hayley was so close to him. She had never mentioned Sam in all the time he had seen her and Tommy since he had moved back to California.

"I'm sorry, Jason…" Hayley began just after him, "I figured it would be okay for him to come since he knew. He was just sitting at my house with nothing to do."

"Well it isn't really a good time to have visitors." Jason replied sternly.

"I know this was supposed to be a celebration, Jason… Hayley told me what happened." He paused looking over at Hayley and back at Jason. Her eyes had migrated to the grass beneath her as she continued to bite her tongue, "It must have been horrifying, the attack at your reunion. I was very sorry to hear of that red Ranger's passing and even more so to learn of the ordeal your doctor friend was put through." He paused, "What was his name again, Hayley?"

"Tommy." She replied without making eye contact with either of them.

"Yes! That's right." He replied, looking back at Jason, "I am afraid to ask, but… how much time does Tommy have left?"

Hayley looked up at Jason. His face had hardened yet his eyes had softened, "I'm uh… not really sure, man." He replied solemnly as he dug his hands into his pockets.

"I'm terribly sorry… that was a horrible thing of me to ask." Sam replied sympathetically, "I'm sure you're very close with him."

Hayley watched in disgust as Sam grasped Jason's shoulder, patting him a few times to comfort the original red Ranger. Jason's mind had been shoveled back into thoughts he had been trying to avoid and forcing distraction onto him at a time he really needed to be thinking clearly. Sam's act was working on the one person Hayley thought for sure would see right through it. She kept her composure despite feeling sick to her stomach. She was feeling more and more uncomfortable allowing Sam to continue on and was biting her lip so hard now she thought she could taste a hint of blood.

"Don't worry about it." Jason replied in a monotone as Sam stepped away from him and returned his hands to his backside.

"If it's alright with you…" Sam spoke again, "I am hoping to help everyone as much as I can through this difficult time. Whether I can provide distraction or even prayer, you guys are true heroes and I want to pay my respects."

"That's very generous of you, man." Jason responded, "I'm sure the others will enjoy your company." Jason gave Sam a quick grin, "Welcome aboard."

Hayley couldn't believe it. If Jason weren't so clouded with grief he would see right through Samuel. She knew he would hate himself later on for this. The man Jason so desperately wanted to strangle was standing right in front of him and before she knew it, walking past him and onto a ship full of people who all wanted to do the same.

"Coming Hayley?" Sam asked with a smile as big as the Cheshire cat's.

As he turned around to walk up the ramp Hayley started to follow. She stopped in front of Jason, wrapping her arms around him unexpectedly. Before he could return the gesture she whispered a single word into his ear before letting go.

With a look of complete bewilderment he turned around, looking back at her as she followed Sam into the Mega Ship. As the door shut behind them he stood alone, thinking deeply now about what Hayley had just said to him.

"Illusion?"

**(Mega Ship Auditorium) **

"Anything yet?" Kira asked Conner as Ethan looked up at them from one of the tables.

"Nothing." He replied, "Trent's phone just keeps ringing and Hayley's goes straight to voicemail. This isn't like either of them… things just feel really off to me, guys."

"You used to get instincts like this back in the day," Ethan started, "We should definitely go out and start looking for them."

"I agree." Kira replied, "They could be in serious trouble… we have no idea what Mesogog is capable of or any of the others for that matter."

"I'm going to try Trent again." Conner told them as he walked over to the exit closest to them.

"We'll wait for you outside!" Kira yelled after him, "Come on, Ethan."

"Hey guys!" Billy called after them. He had been sitting at another table with Zack and Justin when he saw they were leaving, "I've been trying to get a hold of Hayley all day. She didn't tell me she was leaving… have either of you seen her?"

"We didn't want to worry you." Ethan replied, causing Billy's eyebrow to rise.

"What happened?" He asked immediately, looking at Kira and then back at Ethan.

"We don't know." Kira answered, "She told us she would be back soon before she left this morning. She didn't say where she was going and we haven't heard from her since. Her phone is going straight to voicemail."

Billy's eyes wandered off to his right as worry began to sink itself into him. He sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment while Kira and Ethan watched. He placed his hands on his hips as he started to consider different scenarios in his head.

"Trent left too." Ethan continued, "And he hasn't been seen since either."

Billy looked up at both of them, "I have to go look for her."

"We were just about to do that very thing." Kira replied as she started to walk toward the door, "Come on, lets go wait for Conner outside."

The two men followed after her as some of the others in the room watched them go.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Kendrix asked as she, Maya and Cassie still had their gaze on the auditorium exit. The others in their teams sat around them at two other tables.

"I don't think I want to know." Ashley replied before taking a sip of coffee.

"I really hope things don't get any worse than they already are." Zhane added a moment later.

"They're definitely going to get worse." Damon cut in as he ate some chips off of a big plate sitting on the table, "It's just a matter of when."

Kai sat with his elbow on the table and his chin resting in the palm of his hand. He looked absolutely miserable in the eyes of his friends. He was drinking what he had said to be iced tea but everyone knew it was alcohol.

"We have to keep our heads up, guys." T.J. said as he stood up, "It's going to get worse before it gets better but we have the power to stop them, I know we do. We just need to be-"

"Save your valiant speech for the sad, sappy suckers that need it." Kai rudely interrupted before getting up. He carelessly left his plate at the table for someone else to clean as he walked to the nearest trashcan, finished his drink and threw it inside forcefully as everyone watched.

"Hey!" Carlos yelled after him.

"Let him be, Carlos."

"You're going to let that slide?" He asked loud enough for most of the room to hear, "We're all dealing with this… together… he can't just do whatever he wants!"

"He'll come around." T.J. insisted, patting Carlos on the chest and getting him to sit back down. If anyone needed to be calm and rested it was Carlos and T.J. knew this. He was the only person on the Mega Ship that had medical training and they were going to continue to need him.

"I should try to talk to him." Kendrix jumped in. She had somewhat of a guilty look on her face; Kai's behavior had embarrassed her.

"I've tried." Cassie spoke up, "Don't worry about him, Kendrix. We all handle this kind of thing differently… he just needs time."

Maya rested her head on Kendrix's shoulder then, causing the former pink Galaxy Ranger to feel a little more at ease. "I hope Leo is okay… wherever his spirit is." She said quietly with a dazed expression. It was as if she wasn't with the others, floating along elsewhere in her mind.

The group fell silent. A few moments went by before Zhane got up and told T.J. he was going to go see how Karone was doing.

No one knew at this point that their enemy was now on the Mega Ship and just outside the room they were all in. Zhane walked out of the door nearest him as Hayley peered inside of the auditorium from the door on the other end. She didn't see Andros.

"He's not in there." She told Sam as she turned around to face him.

"Take me to wherever you think he might be then." Samuel commanded.

Hayley crossed her arms and proceeded to walk ahead of him at a steady pace in an effort to put some space between them. She looked and felt highly uncomfortable, even more so now than she had before. She thought about what had just happened to her. What small amount of hope she had had, left her the moment they had boarded the ship. Samuel had terrified her, his hand covering her mouth as he pulled her backwards into the bathroom near the auditorium. He had seen Billy, Kira and Ethan heading for the exit and told her didn't have the patience to play 'make believe' with everyone they crossed paths with. Billy would have definitely seen through Sam if not seeing through Hayley's own act first and the devastation of knowing that an encounter with him was no longer an option had her feeling totally helpless.

As she finally reached Andros's door she hesitated to knock.

"Open it."

She looked at him before hitting the button that allowed the door to slide open.

Sam walked past her and into the room surveying the area around him, "Empty." He immediately stated, returning to the hallway.

"Keep moving." He told Hayley in an irritable tone. His demeanor was becoming more and more aggressive. She was being rushed and his patience was beginning to break. It had definitely been a taxing day for both of them.

They kept walking, the Med Bay door coming up on their left. As they passed it Samuel looked up at the sign, "So this is where it is… I'll have to make a stop here later. I've got a sick friend I should pay a visit to."

Hayley turned around, her eyes widening as she took hold of her chest. Her wind became caught up in her throat as she looked at Sam. He had such a fixed gaze on that door, like he wanted nothing more in his life than to go into that room. He turned around then, taking a few steps toward Hayley, "Where else could he be?"

She didn't respond and instead began walking back down the hallway. As they neared the kitchen she began to feel uneasy, knowing there was a good possibility that Andros was in there. She was mainly worried for Andros's well being, knowing now what Sam was capable of. No one stood a chance against him on their own.

Right as she was about to open the door, it opened itself and two people emerged. Zhane had his arm around Karone, rubbing her shoulder as he escorted her back to her room.

They both looked up at Sam and then at Hayley, "You guys need something?"

Zhane was blatantly staring at Sam, swearing silently that he had never seen the guy before.

"Just grabbing a bite to eat." Hayley said after a moment of silence. Zhane gave her a questionable look before nodding his head and returning his attention to Karone, still depressed as ever. As they walked away, Hayley looked back over at Sam. His eyes were focused directly ahead of him and as Hayley's eyes reached the same sight, her heart began to race.

Sam walked ahead of her into the kitchen, "Hello." He greeted the man sitting at the table in front of him.

"Hi." Andros replied as he produced a look almost identical to the one Zhane had just had. For a man Andros had never met before, it seemed to him that this stranger was a little too pleased to see him.

"My name is Samuel Smith." He spoke as Andros looked over at Hayley. There was something about her look that was unsettling to him. Her body was completely stiff, her hands at her sides. It was the pleading look in her eyes that Andros could see the clearest.

"Andros." He replied as he stood and didn't move any further, "Are you a friend of Hayley's?" His eyes kept migrating from her to Sam and he could now feel the tension of the moment, his hand slowly inching closer to his morpher.

"I used to be." He calmly replied, "…Until I found there was no further use for her." The second he finished speaking he focused his psionic energy to his right, directly hitting Hayley. Her body fell to the floor as she held onto her head tightly and tried to ignore the excruciating pain.

"Hold on!" Andros yelled but stopped dead in his tracks as Sam lowered his right hand and extended his left in Andros's direction.

"Do you have any idea who I really am?" He asked motionlessly in a serious tone.

"If I had to guess… I think I'd be right." Andros replied, his determined expression never faltering.

"Good." Sam replied, "Then you know why I am here."

Andros looked over at Hayley as she grunted and still held onto her head with one hand. She pulled herself up into a sitting position against the wall as she watched them.

"Yes." Andros finally replied in a stern tone as he looked back at Sam, "But if you want the stone back, you're going to have to fight me for it."

"You don't want to fight me, red Ranger."

"You have to give it to him Andros…" Hayley insisted, "You don't know what he is really capable of!"

"I'm not going to just hand it over to him." Andros immediately answered, "This stone is worth the fight, whatever the toll…" His eyes never strayed from Samuel's, "It has to stay out of the hands of evil."

Sam grinned, looking both apathetic and slightly ticked off, "Have it your way."

Without hesitation, Andros jumped out of the way of Samuel's psionic attack, landing near Hayley. She gasped as Andros got to his feet. Before he knew it he had the palm of Samuel's right hand inches away from his face.

He wouldn't be able to escape what happened next.

**(Just outside of the Mega Ship) **

"God this is just so weird." Kira said aloud as she, Ethan and Billy stood just outside the Mega Ship waiting for Conner.

"It really is." Ethan replied, "I hope they're okay… if Mesogog got to them there's no telling-"

"Mesogog didn't capture them." Billy insisted, "And I don't want to imagine what could have happened to them either. We'll find out soon enough."

Both of the young adults looked at him with saddened expressions. Ethan regretted his words, wishing he hadn't said them. They both knew how deeply Billy cared for Hayley.

All three of them were caught off guard at the shout of another somewhere near them.

"Who was that?" Kira asked worriedly.

"Let's check it out." Billy suggested, walking ahead of them. His mind was already racing with possibilities. The three of them walked quickly to the side of the ship and into a scene that took them all by surprise.

"Hey!" Billy yelled, "Break it up!"

Jason was lying on the grass with blood coming out the corner of his mouth and down the side of his face, "Way to attack me while my guard was down!" Jason yelled, pushing Billy away as the original blue Ranger tried to help him up, "What's your deal, man?"

"What's _my_ deal?!" Mike shouted back, "_Your_ decisions got my brother killed!" He was still shaking and rubbing his fist, he had punched Jason in the face twice, the second time just as Jason was recovering from the first blow. With how things had been going between them, Jason hadn't seen this coming at all, "I don't give a shit who you are… your selfishness led to Leo's death and nothing will _ever_ make up for it!"

Jason was still lying there on his back taking Mike's insults without retort. He was holding himself up on his elbows as the former Magna Defender continued on, standing just above him, "You know… It'll provide some relief for me when Tommy's time finally comes… at least then you'll feel some small portion of the pain I'm experiencing."

Billy shook his head, knowing right then and there that that was the end of Jason's passiveness and before he could do anything more, Jason was on his feet tackling Mike back onto the ground.

"You guys have to stop this fighting!" Billy yelled again. Jason was holding Mike down with both of his hands as Mike tried to push him away, "There's no time for this right now!" Billy watched helplessly as Jason finally returned a punch, hitting Mike squarely in the jaw.

Kira and Ethan watched in horror. They had no idea what to do in that moment and felt terrible for Billy who was trying so hard to stop the fight.

"GUYS!" Conner yelled as he ran around the corner in a frantic manner.

Billy looked over at him as Kira and Ethan turned around to face him, "Trent… he just returned my call…" Conner told them quickly and out of breath, "Hayley is on her way here… and Mesogog is with her!"

"WHAT?!" Kira and Ethan both shouted together as they gave each other worried looks.

Billy was in total awe at what he had just heard, looking back down at Jason and Mike just in time to see Mike finally push Jason away. Mike stared at Jason with a look of pure hatred despite Jason's expression turning into one of complete shock. His mind was no longer in the fight; both Billy and Mike could see that.

"Illusion…" Jason stated in just above a whisper. He didn't hesitate to get up then, almost losing his balance as he hurriedly walked over to Conner. He looked like he had just witnessed something completely traumatizing.

"Jason…" Conner spoke as he neared him.

Jason took hold of Conner's shirt, gripping it tightly, "What did you just say?"

"Let go, man!" Conner responded but Jason's grip only became tighter.

"Jason!" Billy yelled as Kira and Ethan watched, neither of them knowing if they should intervene.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Jason shouted.

"Mesogog... he has Hayley and they're on their way here." Conner repeated.

He let go of Conner, shaking his head in disbelief as everyone watched him, "Hayley showed up twenty minutes ago." He revealed, taking off toward the front of the Mega Ship as he finished his sentence.

Everyone was taken by surprise, running after him onto the ship without delay. Mike was the only one who stayed behind, wiping the blood from his bottom lip with the end of his sleeve.

He pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, bringing one up to his lips as he reached for his matches. He shakily lit the end of it, still looking in the direction everyone had left in. He thought he wouldn't care that their enemy was aboard the ship but upon watching his hands continue to shake he realized he was worried about the other Galaxy Rangers.

For the first time since Leo had died, he felt emotion that he thought had been buried and wondered just how far it would take him. His anger had turned into fear in a matter of minutes and now he was in the middle of making a decision that could deeply impact his life and the lives of his friends.

Would he continue to isolate himself or would he choose to fight with the others? He looked to the left of him up at the Mega Ship as her wondered if there had ever been another time where he felt as alone as he did now.

It was in that moment that Mike Corbett made his choice.

**(Med Bay)**

"So what was that like?" Kimberly asked, "To jump back into Rangering after all of those years."

The two of them had been reconnecting and enjoying each other's company for the past hour.

Tommy smiled, "It was harder than I had expected it to be but I loved being back… black was a nice change too."

"I bet Jamie loved hearing about all of this." Kimberly added.

"You know… I haven't had a chance to really talk to her about it. I want to though…" As he finished he looked up at the door with a saddened expression. "Her and Jase haven't been in here much since I told them I was..." He paused, not wanting to say the actual words again, "…since I told them about my situation."

She could see the disappointment in his face and could definitely hear it in his tone, "They're hurting…" She replied sympathetically, "If it was difficult for me to come in here I can't even imagine how hard it is for them."

Tommy let out a deep breath as his eyes migrated to his feet, "This isn't how I envisioned going out."

She took hold of his hand again, "I know… but everyone on board this ship is here for you. _Everyone_, Tommy… you aren't alone."

He looked back over at her with clear gratitude, "I know I have said this… but I am glad you're here, Kim… I really am."

She smiled and after a minute or so replied, "There's no place I'd rather be."

They were both grinning by now and if one were to observe the scene they'd more than likely say the two seemed to be harboring feelings for each other.

"That was quite touching." The voice of another started, catching them both off guard.

Kimberly let go of Tommy's hand, moving back into her seat as they both watched their new visitor walk into the room, the door shutting behind him.

The man walked into the light of the room, staring directly at Tommy.

"Who are you?" Tommy asked as he tried to sit up some. He hated feeling so vulnerable and weak.

"Well… I can assure you we have met before." The man began with a small laugh, "You know my more gruesome half better than this one."

"What is he talking about, Tommy?" Kim spoke up. She was starting to feel anxious, the threatening look in this man's eyes making her worry. This didn't feel like a friendly visit and she could see Tommy was thinking the same.

"Give me a straight answer." Tommy demanded, "I don't like playing games."

"Tough talk for someone who's currently bedridden… It's truly a shame that someone like you ended up in such a defenseless position."

Kimberly got up at that point, now standing protectively next to Tommy's bed, "Tell us why you're here before I have you removed from this ship."

He snickered, his eyes scanning every part of her; "I should take you home with me. That attitude and that body of yours would make me a happy man."

Kimberly suddenly felt violated and didn't know how to respond. Tommy was staring the man down by now, "Now, now Tommy… I've come to bring you up to speed on everything… don't look at me like that."

"Tell me who you are and why you're here… _right now."_ Tommy commanded, his anger really beginning to escalate.

The man smiled, "My name is Samuel Smith… and you knew my father, Terrance quite well."

Tommy's expression changed drastically. His jaw practically dropped upon hearing that name again, "I thought you had died… Smitty told me he lost his only son in an accident-"

"I'm not going to waste my time explaining myself to you… I've disclosed enough to Hayley and Mercer already."

"You've seen Anton?" Tommy asked, taken aback, "And Hayley? …When?"

"That's irrelevant." Sam replied bluntly, "God I am growing _so_ tired of this meaningless discourse with you people."

Kimberly and Tommy's attention was momentarily redirected as they heard someone in the hallway call out Hayley's name. Both of them immediately recognized the voice, Billy's desperate tone striking a nerve within them.

"What is going on?" Kimberly asked out loud in a fearful tone.

Before Tommy could respond, Sam regained their attention again, "I'll tell you what's going on…" He started, taking a few steps closer to the other side of Tommy's bed, "Your friend Hayley proved to be pretty valuable… helping me retrieve what was mine from that annoying Kerovian who had some serious nerve stealing from me to begin with."

Kimberly wasn't following but Samuel's words had Tommy mentally painting a portrait he didn't want to believe. The pleasing look Sam started to produce was the result of seeing that Tommy was starting to catch on.

"I'm sure someone will come looking for me in here in just a few minutes." Sam added nonchalantly as he took a seat by the monitor Carlos had been viewing earlier.

He had never been more right.

* * *

The pacing of the many footsteps walking along one of the main halls of the Mega Ship was quick and rampant. Their hurried feet as well as their cries could be heard through the walls of the rooms surrounding them. Everyone's eyes scattered, doors were opened and the small group of people began looking for the trouble that awaited them.

The shouts for Hayley were all that could be heard echoing in the halls.

"What's going on?" Justin yelled as he, Adam and T.J. exited the auditorium.

Ethan looked back at him, "Mesogog's here!"

T.J. immediately went back into the auditorium to inform the majority of Rangers aboard the ship that something was up while Justin and Adam both followed the smaller group down the hallway.

"We may have a situation," He announced to the curious group once he got back inside, "Let me find out what's going on… I'll be right back!"

Some of them started to object but T.J. left as quickly as he had come in. The moment he reached the hall he took off running to catch up with the others.

Within a minute or so he had reached the kitchen, coming to a stop near the entrance before slowly peering inside. The door was already open and everyone who had gone ahead of T.J. was present. T.J. became shocked at the state of the kitchen as he walked in further; it was in total disarray.

"What on earth happened?"

"I don't know…" Kira answered him quietly, standing near the door as she took in the same sight. She couldn't bear anymore bad news and didn't want to walk any further into the room. Conner and Ethan stood to her left with nothing else to add, their expressions as dismal as hers.

He looked over at what they had their gaze on and was at a loss for words. Both Hayley and Andros were sprawled out on the floor near each other, unconscious and bruised. He made his way over to Andros first who was already being tended to by Adam and Justin.

"What should we do?" Adam asked as T.J. walked up to them.

"Andros." T.J. said in a low voice as he bent down and grasped Andros's shoulder.

The two men watched as he scanned Andros's body for any serious wounds, "He seems to be okay."

Jason and Billy were at Hayley's side a few feet away. Billy had his hand gently resting on Hayley's head, his thumb rubbing the top of her forehead. Jason could see the tremendous amount of concern in his friend's face.

"Don't worry, man…" Jason told him in a soft tone but found he couldn't say much more. As he looked at Hayley all he could think about was finding the man that had been with her.

"I knew it!" Came the shout of another as they entered the kitchen.

Everyone looked up to see Zhane running over to them.

"That guy…" He started angrily, "I knew something had been off about him!"

"Have you seen him?" Jason asked in an urgent tone as he stood.

"Not since he came in here with Hayley." Zhane didn't say anything else and instead turned his attention to his best friend lying on the floor below him. As he looked at Andros he couldn't help but feel guilty for whatever had happened to him.

"We should get them to the Med Bay." T.J. suggested.

"The Med Bay…" Jason repeated, his eyes never blinking as he produced an alarming look. The daunting thought that had just entered his mind had also entered Billy's, the original Blue Ranger looking up at him slowly with a similar expression.

"Make them as comfortable as you can." Jason began, "_Do not_ bring them to the Med Bay until I come back."

"We." Conner added, taking a few steps in front of Kira and Ethan, "Until _we_ come back." He wasn't about to allow Jason to go alone.

Jason nodded, the two of them leaving the room together. It was at that moment that another person aboard the ship was walking into the room they were heading for.

The door to the Med Bay slid open, causing three sets of eyes to wander over in its direction. Tommy's face and body stiffened at the sight of who had just walked in.

"Hey dad." Jamie greeted. She pulled her headphones out as she looked over at him and then at Kim with a perturbed expression, "Why do you guys have those looks on your faces?"

"Because they don't want you to meet their visitor." Samuel responded, getting up from his chair.

"Stay away from her!" Tommy yelled, grunting as he tried to get up.

Kimberly instinctively moved toward Jamie but froze the moment Samuel held his hand out toward her, "I'd stay right where you are… No one needs to get hurt here."

Jamie already had her fists tightly closed and her arms slightly raised above her waist.

"My name is Samuel but you may call me Sam if you prefer."

"She isn't going to call you anything!" Tommy shouted again.

Sam ignored Tommy altogether as he stared at the wide-eyed teenager. He could see the pain behind her eyes, the anger in her face. He found himself thinking of something he hadn't considered before as he and Jamie continued to look at each other.

"There's a lot of potential in you." He told her, making her lose track of her thoughts for a moment.

"Don't listen to him, Jamie!" Tommy yelled but her eyes never shifted from Sam's face.

"She's just a child." Kimberly added, "Let her leave… whatever your deal is, it has nothing to do with her."

"Oh, she's no child," He insisted as he continued to look at her, "She's special, this one."

Tommy's scowl continued to grow as he became sick to his stomach seeing how close Samuel was getting to his daughter. He knew by now exactly who he was and couldn't believe the unfortunate timing of his daughter's visit.

"Back off!" Someone else ordered as the door opened once more.

The Red Dino Ranger ran inside the room, Jason just behind him.

"Are you okay?" Jason practically shouted over at Tommy upon coming in. He watched Tommy nod before turning his attention to Kim and Jamie.

He pulled Jamie behind him, breaking the trance she had been in as he led her to Kimberly, "The two of you stay in that corner." He added, pointing to the area behind him.

Everyone watched anxiously as Conner held his Tyranno Staff in Sam's direction.

Samuel laughed as he pushed some of his jet-black hair out of his face, "And what do you plan on doing with that? Attacking me?"

There was a moment of silence before Samuel spoke again, "It would be wise of you not to further injure your friend over here." He pointed at Tommy as he finished causing both Conner and Jason to look over at him.

Jason was the first to meet Samuel's eyes again, "If you got what you wanted you might as well take your leave now."

"Oh, I will." He assured, "But there is something I must do first." Samuel reached into his pocket then, pulling his dagger out. Jason got into a defensive stance and Conner's staff rose a bit higher.

Their mouths dropped as they all watched Sam in astonishment. He carefully cut along the palm of his left hand, blood dripping to the floor as it slowly slithered around one of the legs that belonged to Tommy's bed.

Tommy gritted his teeth, groaning at the new injury he was now obtaining. Blood was falling from his own hand onto his white sheets.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Jason roared as he looked over at Tommy before looking back at Sam.

Samuel didn't respond and instead placed the bloody blade back into his pocket and pulled out the Dolmen Stone. The stone still shone a bright purple, the light that came from it illuminating Samuel's side of the room.

Tommy looked over at him, knowing exactly what he was about to do. Samuel was going to make sure the stone never left his possession again.

"NO!" Tommy cried.

He placed the stone in the palm of his bloody hand, the entire room turning into a vibrant green at the moment of contact. Everyone's eyes closed, all of them looking away from the light that shone as bright as the sun. After about ten seconds, the light began to diminish. Both Jason and Conner put their guard back up upon seeing Mesogog now standing in the same spot Samuel had just been in.

"Noooow…" He began in a sedated tone, "I will walk off of this ship and none of you will stop me."

Mesogog took two steps toward the door and stopped upon seeing Jason do the same. Jason wanted to get his hands on him more than ever, "Yeah, you leave…" He aggressively urged as he pointed his finger at him, "But I guarantee you'll be destroyed before this is all over!"

Sam was smiling again but no one could see it now that he was in Mesogog's form. He took one last look at everyone in the room, "No one will even come close." He replied with confidence before making his exit.

What no one in the room knew at that point was that the Rangers in the auditorium had all begun to step out into the hallway, many of them having seen the green light come from under the door. No one wanted to wait around; they all were more than ready to fight… But the moment their enemy stepped out of that room everyone froze. Kat gasped as her hand covered her mouth. Rocky was just behind her as he gaped at the sight of the being slowly emerging into the light of the hall.

No one moved… no one attempted to fight… no one said a word. They all simply watched, knowing there was nothing they could do as the reptilian creature of evil walked silently toward the exit of the Mega Ship.

The moment Mesogog made it down the ramp and onto the grass outside, he laughed. One could infer that Samuel was the one laughing, showing his excitement over the fact that his plan had been extremely successful.

"Now it's time to return to those goons and get this show on the road." He said out loud, extending his arm and opening up an invisaportal in front of him. He jumped up into it, disappearing instantly but before the portal could fully close another being jumped in after him.

Unbeknownst to Mesogog or Sam there was one Ranger that had decided to fight back that night and was now well on his way to the enemy headquarters.

He was powerless, his determination the only thing driving him at this point.

As he landed on foreign soil he looked up in time to see Mesogog walking into the rustic building in front of him.

He had just arrived there and was already wondering if he was ever going to be able to leave.

He shook his nerves away, "Let's do this." He told himself quietly as he ran toward the building.


End file.
